I 
 
 I s j. 
 
 MELTON 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 SANTA BARBARA 
 
 Gift of 
 
 THE INSTITUTE 
 
 FOR THE STUDY OF 
 
 AMERICAN RELIGION
 
 ' 
 
 UBRAft) 
 
 234,
 
 234 *7 
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS 
 
 ADDRESSEn TO 
 
 A METHODIST, 
 
 ON SUBJECTS OF 
 
 CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICED 
 
 BY JOHN BAKE WELL. 
 M 
 
 REVISED BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT, 
 
 200 Mulberry-itreet. 
 
 JOSEPH LONGKINO, PRINTKB 
 
 1849

 
 PREFACE. 
 
 AT a time when the press is teeming with 
 religious publications, it seems requisite to 
 offer some apology for adding to the number. 
 
 The author of the following pages has for 
 some time been under the conviction, that a 
 work was needed which could be placed, as 
 a guide, in the hands of the members, espe- 
 cially the junior members, of Methodist so- 
 cieties. 
 
 To ensure the efficiency of a system, it 
 must not only be well adapted to its proposed 
 end, but its component parts must be clearly 
 understood, and its true spirit faithfully car- 
 lied out. To promote these objects, in ref- 
 erence to Methodism, is the design of the 
 writer. Whether the attempt be a success- 
 ful one, must be decided by those to whom 
 the contents of this volume are more im 
 mediately addressed.
 
 4 PREFACE. 
 
 Conscious that his only aim is to become 
 the humble instrument of rendering his read- 
 ers increasingly holy, and useful, and happy 
 in the church of God, the author commends 
 his work to the blessing of Him' without 
 whose sanction the best-devised and best-in- 
 tended schemes are vain. 
 
 J. B. 
 
 CHESTER, Dec., 1840.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. Page 
 
 On the nature and importance of a thorough convic- 
 tionofsin 7 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 On justification, faith, and assurance 15 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 On sanctificatioti 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 On the means of promoting personal religion, watch- 
 fulness, self-examination 56 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 
 
 Means of promoting personal religion (continued) 
 prayer, reading the Scriptures 79 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 On the social means of grace, public worship, the 
 Lord's supper 130 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Social means of grace (continued) class meetings, 
 prayer meetings, band meetings, love-feasts ..... 145 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 On the duties of church membership 171
 
 ADMONITCTRY COUNSELS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ON THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF A 
 THOROUGH CONVICTION OF SIN. 
 
 AN open profession of religion is the unques- 
 tionable duty of every sincere Christian. In 
 the present state of the world the only mode of 
 properly making this profession is, by being 
 united to some religious society. He who 
 forms such a union will, if actuated by right 
 motives, give preference to that denomination 
 which most nearly meets his own views in 
 matters of doctrine and of discipline, and to- 
 ward the ministers and members of which he 
 can cherish a cordial and respectful attach- 
 ment. A union based on such principles will, 
 in all probability, be permanent ; and, if rightly 
 used and appreciated, will be productive of the 
 happiest results. 
 
 The persons for whose benefit this little book 
 is specially intended have selected the Meth- 
 odists, as the people in connection with whom 
 they will confess Christ before men. As Meth- 
 odists of every section, are distinguished from 
 other communities by certain peculiarities of
 
 6 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 sentiment and of usage, my design is to offer a 
 few counsels which shal^at once recognise 
 these peculiarities, unfold; in some measure, 
 the privileges which they confer, and enforce 
 the obligations which they involve. 
 
 Those who have but lately begun to receive 
 the weekly instructions of a leader constitute 
 the interesting class of persons to whom I wish, 
 for the present, more particularly to address 
 myself. May I bespeak your candid, your se- 
 rious, your prayerful attention ? In presuming 
 to advise you, I trust that the advancement of 
 God's glory is my principal aim ; and in sub- 
 ordination to this, I feel that I am prompted by 
 Christian sympathy and affection toward you. 
 My object is to encourage you to persevere in 
 the course upon which you have entered ; at 
 the same time to warn you against dangers to 
 which you will be unavoidably exposed, and to 
 direct you to that source from whence strength 
 and wisdom are to be derived. Let me beg of 
 you to look up to God, that by his blessing this 
 effort may be rendered instrumental in establish- 
 ing you in the faith, and perfecting you in love. 
 
 In the commencement of your religious 
 course, it is of supreme importance that you 
 obtain right views of yourself as a sinner in 
 the sight of God. Our Lord speaks of stony- 
 ground hearers, who, though they " receive 
 the word with joy," yet " endure only for a 
 time." They run well for a season ; they give 
 promise and raise expectations of usefulness ; 
 but in a while they return to their former habits
 
 AU.UUMTOKV COUNSELS. 9 
 
 of ungodliness, and drink even more deeply 
 than ever into the spirit of the world. Why 
 this instability 1 The causes of it are various ; 
 but it very frequently arises from the want of 
 an adequate conviction of guilt. There is no 
 fruit, because there is " no deepness of earth," 
 in which the seed of the word can take root, 
 and maintain its hold on the heart. There 
 being, in the first instance, no depth of convic- 
 tion, there is, in consequence, no decision of 
 character. There may be slight and transient 
 emotions ; there may be some indications of 
 seriousness, and even of sorrow ; but these may 
 exist when there is no sense of the intolerable 
 burden of sin, nor any clear perception of that 
 depravity which reigns in every unrenewed 
 mind. 
 
 Far be it from me to add to the anxieties of 
 those who are already sorrowing to repentance ; 
 but! cannot divest my self of the fear that many 
 religious inquirers are falsely reconciled to the 
 absence of strong convictions of sin, by the 
 well-intended but erroneous encouragements 
 that are frequently administered. When one 
 who is favoured with some measure of spiritual 
 light complains that his impressions are not 
 sufficiently strong, nor his sorrow for sin suffi- 
 ciently deep, he is told, perhaps without further 
 inquiry or discrimination, that God is gently 
 drawing him with the cords of love, and there- 
 fore does not visit him with those distressing 
 apprehensions of which others are the subjects. 
 Such a statement may be true, and therefore
 
 10 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 may be applicable to the individual to whom it 
 is addressed. But it may be otherwise. It 
 may be, that instead of being soothed and qui- 
 eted, the inquirer needs to be directed to those 
 means and considerations which, by more pow- 
 erfully awakening his conscience, will impart 
 earnestness and decision to his efforts. In ad- 
 vising those who profess a desire after salva- 
 tion, it can seldom, if ever, be wrong to enforce 
 the necessity of a deep and humbling convic- 
 tion of sin. Be it also remembered, that every 
 one who is drawn to Christ, is drawn by the 
 cords of divine love ; so that whether the pen- 
 itent be agitated with terror, or melted into 
 sorrow, his conversion is equally an act of in- 
 finite mercy. Neither is the sinner drawn only 
 by the cords of love : he is also guided by the 
 light of truth; and whenever truth shines into 
 the heart, it lays open the depth and power of 
 its depravity. Nor is it easy to conceive of 
 any human being entering in at the " straight 
 gate," and exercising " repentance toward 
 God," who does not painfully feel the burden 
 of his sin, and who is not both grieved and 
 humbled by the recollection of his ingratitude 
 and rebellion. Be assured of this, that unless 
 you. so feel your sinfulness, as to mourn on ac- 
 count of it, a thorough and permanent change 
 of heart can never be experienced. One cause 
 of the formality, lukewarmness, and hypocrisy 
 which too evidently exists in some religious 
 professors, and of the apostacy which we de- 
 plore in others, is, that they have never been
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 11 
 
 subdued and heart-broken under a sense of 
 their vileness ; they have never had the con- 
 victions of the publican, constraining them to 
 cry out, " God be merciful to me a sinner." 
 
 Be determined, therefore, to acquire such a 
 knowledge of the nature of sin as will render 
 it the object of your abhorrence. By searching 
 the Scriptures you will find it represented as an 
 evil of awful and incalculable magnitude. Sin 
 is the transgression both of the moral and of the 
 evangelical law of God : it is therefore nothing 
 less than open rebellion against the divine go- 
 vernment ; it opposes itself to the justice and 
 benevolence of the divine character ; it debases 
 the dignity and destroys the happiness of man ; 
 it pollutes his nature and ruins his soul. Con- 
 template sin as the source of these appalling 
 consequences. Ifiew it in all its deformity, till 
 your heart loathes it, and swells with indigna- 
 tion against it. Ponder also the melancholy 
 fact, that you are by nature the subject, the 
 slave, of sin ; that your heart has hitherto been 
 the welcome abode of this tyrant ; and that your 
 life has been submissively governed by its 
 dictates. 
 
 Try yourself by the first great command- 
 ment of the divine law, which requires you to 
 love God with a supreme and constant affec- 
 tion : this equitable requirement you have never 
 once obeyed ; this first great duty you have 
 never once performed. From the moment of 
 your becoming accountable to God, you have 
 therefore, by your disobedience to this one
 
 lii AUMOM1UK\ COUNSELS. 
 
 coinuiaiidineut, been incessantly accumulating 
 guilt upon your conscience. 
 
 Not only have you withheld your heart from 
 God, you have also repeatedly been influenced 
 by selfishness, envy, unkindness, and resent- 
 ment toward your fellow-men. And though 
 the world may regard your conduct as unex- 
 ceptionable, yet, if you are taught by the Spirit 
 of God, you will be painfully conscious that 
 you have never for one moment felt that pure, 
 ardent, and universal benevolence which is en- 
 joined in the comprehensive precept, " Thou 
 shall love thy neighbour as thyself." 
 
 But this is not all. Your transgressions of 
 the moral law have been committed under cir- 
 cumstances which render those transgressions 
 peculiarly aggravating. You have been fa- 
 voured with gospel light, and with Christian 
 ordinances ; but this light you have resisted, 
 these ordinances you have disregarded. Merey 
 has been repeatedly offered to you, but you 
 have spurned the offer ; Christ has been 
 preached to you, but you have rejected him ; 
 you have heard of his infinite love, but you 
 have refused to be softened by its influence ; 
 the efficacy of his atonement has been an- 
 nounced to you, but you have treated the an- 
 nouncement with strange and criminal indif- 
 ference. 
 
 Such are the reflections that will occupy 
 your mind, if you be the subject of saving con- 
 viction. You will feel that ingratitude, impen- 
 itence, and unbelief, constitute the essence and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 13 
 
 enormity of your guilt Your recollections of 
 the goodness of God, of the sufferings of Christ, 
 and of the strivings of the Spirit, contrasted 
 with your own disobedience, will so vividly 
 exhibit to you the evil of sin, and the depravity 
 of your heart, as to fill you with self-abhor- 
 rence, humiliation, and sorrow. 
 
 Whatever may be the degree of conviction 
 which you feel, do not, I beseech you, trifle 
 with its warnings ; whether your impressions 
 be feeble or powerful, do not, by levity and un- 
 watchfulness, weaken their influence ; let 
 neither the loss of worldly friendship, nor the 
 sacrifice of worldly pleasure, nor the' endurance 
 of persecution, prevent you from acting with 
 decision and earnestness in the pursuit of sal- 
 vation. If you extinguish the light that is within 
 you, an awful state of darkness and insensibil- 
 ity will be the consequence ; the Holy Spirit, 
 expelled from the heart which he designed to 
 make his home, may abandon you for ever, and 
 leave you to reap the fruits of your infatuation 
 throughout a dark and dismal eternity. 
 
 In thus urging upon you the importance of 
 a deep conviction of sin, let me caution you 
 against supposing that the depth of your con- 
 victions can invest you with any claim to the 
 divine favour. Conviction, of itself, furnishes 
 no ground of confidence toward God, though it 
 is necessary to prepare and fit the mind for the 
 reception of gospel privileges. The pardon of 
 sin will be most earnestly sought after, and 
 most cordially welcomed by him who most
 
 14 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 acutely feels the burden of his guilt ; sanctifi- 
 cation will be most highly appreciated by him 
 who has the clearest insight into the depravity 
 of his own heart ; and communion with the 
 Father will yield the richest joy to him who is 
 most painfully sensible of his natural alienation 
 from God, and of his enmity against him. 
 
 Sincere inquirers after salvation are fre- 
 quently anxious to ascertain what amount of 
 godly sorrow is necessary to constitute them 
 real penitents. It would be difficult, if not im- 
 possible, to give a definite answer to such a 
 question. It may, however, in general terms, 
 be observed, that where there is such a desire 
 after the blessings of redemption, as leads to 
 the immediate abandonment of every sin, to 
 frequent and wrestling prayer, and to a diligent 
 use of all the other means of grace, there are 
 satisfactory indications of genuine penitence, 
 of a penitence wrought in the heart by the 
 Spirit of God. And as he is the Author of 
 conviction, he will, if his influences be cher- 
 ished, and his dictates obeyed, carry on his 
 own work, and pour that divine light into the 
 understanding which shall reveal the siriner's 
 danger and the Saviour's glory ; a light which 
 shall shine more and more unto the perfect day. 
 
 I cannot dismiss this subject without remind- 
 ing you that the sorrows of conviction are es- 
 sentially different from the agonies of despair; 
 nor must the latter be substituted for the former. 
 It is possible for a person to have alarming ap- 
 prehensions of the wrath to come, without
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 1 D 
 
 loathing and humbling himself before God on 
 account of his sii.s. Do not, therefore, imagine 
 that a foretaste of hell is necessary to render 
 you a true penitent. You cannot indeed feel 
 yourself a sinner without in some measure feel- 
 ing the condemnation of sin ; but, if your re- 
 pentance be genuine, it is not the condemna- 
 tion of sin that chiefly occupies your thoughts, 
 but its defilement, its ingratitude, its opposition 
 to God. You mourn over it, not only because 
 it deprives you of God's favour, but because it 
 unfits you for his service. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 , JUST :FICATION FAITH ASSURANCE. 
 
 I AM now about to address you on subjects 
 which, if you are athirst for salvation, you will 
 deem of unspeakable interest and importance. 
 You need scarcely be informed of the necessity 
 of obtaining correct views on the doctrine of 
 justification by faith, and also of securing a 
 personal interest in that, great blessing. To be 
 in error on this subject, is to be in danger ; in- 
 asmuch as it enters into the very essence of 
 the Christian's hope, and supplies the only 
 efficient motives to acceptable obedience. 
 Doiibtless your opinions on justification may 
 ho orthodox, while the practical influence of
 
 10 ADMONITORY COU.VSELS. 
 
 those opinions is unfelt ; nevertheless it is ob- 
 vious that the comforting and hallowing effects 
 of this doctrine cannot be experienced unless 
 your knowledge of it be sound and Scriptural. 
 
 In attempting to define justification, it may be 
 observed, that it consists in the sinner's deliv- 
 erance from that condemnation which sin has 
 brought upon him, and which he justly merits. 
 As the wrath of God abideth on him who be- 
 lieves not, so when by faith he is justified this 
 wrath is removed. In the act of justification 
 that sentence which dooms the sinner to eter- 
 nal perdition is repealed, withdrawn, and blot- 
 ted out. When a person is justified, he is ac- 
 cepted of God, received into his favour, and 
 made the object of the divine complacency. 
 Thus justification essentially includes the free 
 forgiveness of sin. Indeed, the terms justifi- 
 cation, pardon, and forgiveness, as they -are 
 used in the Scriptures, obviously mean one and 
 the same thing. This great blessing, there- 
 fore, consists, not only in a deliverance from 
 all liability to punishment for past sin, but in 
 being also constituted an heir of everlasting 
 glory. 
 
 That you may be rooted and grounded in 
 this doctrine, let me exhort you to read the 
 Bible, especially those portions of the New 
 Testament which dwell on the design of the 
 death of Christ, and on God's method of justi- 
 fying sinners. Pray that the Holy Spirit would 
 open the eyes of your understanding, that you 
 may have a spiritual discernment of the thi gs
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 17 
 
 of God, and that you may be guided into all 
 the truth as it is in Jesus. It will, at the same 
 time, be your privilege and your duty to avail 
 yourself of such helps for the right understand- 
 ing of the word of God on this subject, as have 
 been furnished by men who, though not in- 
 spired, have, we believe, been taught by the 
 Holy Ghost. You may read with great ad- 
 vantage Mr. Wesley's and Dr. Bunting's dis- 
 courses on justification ; which, in my humble 
 opinion, give in clear and forcible language the 
 true sense of Scripture on this all-important 
 doctrine. Let your inquiries be pursued, not in 
 the spirit of cold speculation, nor for the pur- 
 pose of satisfying a vain curiosity ; but let your 
 object be to secure reconciliation with God, 
 and to have your confidence fixed on that foun- 
 dation which is laid in Zion. 
 
 Important as it is that you should rightly 
 understand the nature of justification, it is of 
 infinitely greater importance that you should 
 experience its vital, saving influence. I will 
 therefore now address myself to you on the 
 presumption that you are anxiously proposing 
 the inquiry, " What must I do to be saved ?" 
 and that you are determined not to rest, that 
 you feel you cannot rest, until you are assured 
 of your acceptance with God. 
 
 You are seeking to be justified, and the gos- 
 pel informs you that you are to be "justified 
 by faith." If, indeed, you were required to 
 bring any personal righteousness as the ground 
 or condition of your justification, the blessing 
 '2
 
 18 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 could never be yours. You feel this to be true. 
 Instead of dreaming that your obedience to 
 God's law can either merit or procure his 
 favour, your most decided and painful convic- 
 tion is, that you have no obedience to offer. 
 Your conscience, enlightened by the Holy 
 Spirit, testifies against you, that you are 
 altogether sinful. And it is as a sinner, con- 
 scious of your guilt, not as a righteous charac- 
 ter, that you are to come to Christ for salvation. 
 Even your penitence you cannot rest upon as 
 a foundation of hope; because, involving as it 
 does the discovery of your utter destitution of 
 all spiritual good, its consequent results are the 
 renunciation of self, and the exclusion of every 
 plea, of every ground of hope, except the great 
 atonement. Throughout the universe a more 
 monstrous contradiction cannot be found than 
 that of a self-dependant, self-justifying penitent. 
 " Believe, then, on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 thou shall be saved." Believe immediately. 
 The trembling jailer was not told to defer the 
 exercise of his faith : he was commanded to 
 believe, and that without delay, although but a 
 few minutes previously he had attempted to 
 commit suicide. If, therefore, you are earnestly 
 proposing the jailer's inquiry, you are not to 
 wait till your convictions are stronger, nor till 
 you are more deeply humbled under a sense of 
 sin. If you are longing to be free, if you are 
 athirst for salvation, if you feel your need of 
 Christ, you must come to him just as you are. 
 You must come to him with all those corrup-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 19 
 
 tions of which you are conscious, and over 
 which you mourn ; you must come with all that 
 impenitence, pride, and hardness of heart of 
 which you complain. Instead of considering 
 these evils as reasons for delaying your appli- 
 cation to Christ, you must regard them as fur- 
 nishing the most powerful motives for the im- 
 mediate exercise of faith. By a believing view 
 of the cross, the impenitence which grieves 
 you will be removed; the pride that harasses 
 you will be abased ; the hardness of heart that 
 discourages you will be melted away. In the 
 cross there is a power which gives a death- 
 blow to every corruption ; and an attraction 
 which despoils sin of its fascination, and con- 
 centrates the soul's affections on God and holi- 
 ness : there is in the cross a glory, the rays of 
 which banish those clouds of spiritual darkness 
 that oppressed the sinner ; substituting for them 
 the light of God's countenance, and the hope of 
 heaven. This moment, then, look to Jesus 
 with confidence ; look to him for a present 
 salvation. The fountain of his blood is always 
 open ; it is open for sin and for un cleanness ; 
 and as the efficacy of that blood is infinite and 
 perpetual, so also are the ability and willing- 
 ness of Christ to save you even to the uttermost. 
 Let me caution you against expecting an 
 assurance of pardon before you have exercised 
 faith. Such an expectation is both unscriptural 
 and presumptuous ; and yet many, instead of 
 struggling against unbelief, look for a sudden 
 and overpowering communication of the divine
 
 20 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 presence, and imagine that, until thus favoured, 
 they must continue in darkness and in bondage. 
 That such manifestations are promised, is un- 
 questionable ; that they are enjoyed is equally 
 certain. But they are promised to faith ; and 
 are enjoyed only by those who have already 
 believed. It is by " believing we rejoice with 
 joy unspeakable and full of glory." It is God's 
 prerogative to impart consolation, it is your 
 duty to believe ; and before you can receive 
 an assurance of pardon, you must exercise 
 faith in the atonement. First, believe ; and 
 then, and not till then, shall the " Spirit itself 
 bear witness with your spirit that you are a 
 child of God." 
 
 But you will probably ask, What is faith ? 
 How am I to believe ? Such questions are 
 often proposed by penitents : they are questions 
 which generally indicate a state of painful em- 
 barrassment, and frequently occasion protracted 
 distress. Faith has been defined as a simple 
 belief of the gospel testimony. Admitting the 
 correctness of this very general definition, the 
 next question which naturally arises is, What 
 is the gospel testimony ? Some have asserted 
 that it is the statement of facts and the system 
 of truths which the gospel reveals to us ; and 
 that faith is a firm persuasion of the certainty 
 of these truths, and of the reality of these facts. 
 This is true as far as it goes ; but it does not 
 go sufficiently far to meet the necessities, and 
 remove the anxieties under which you labour. 
 You already have this firm persuasion of the
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. '21 
 
 truth of the gospel, and yet your conscience is 
 unrelieved of its burden. 
 
 The gospel testimony includes a number of 
 facts and truths, individually exhibiting their 
 distinctive features, but all together constituting 
 one harmonious and divinely arranged system. 
 Jt is not unreasonable, then, to suppose that 
 these facts and truths are severally intended 
 and adapted to benefit man under his varied 
 circumstances, feelings, and modifications of 
 character. Is there not, therefore, some one 
 part of this testimony, some one object which 
 it places before us, which is pre-eminently cal- 
 culated, yea, especially designed, to direct and 
 comfort the inquiring penitent ? 
 
 Now one part of the gospel testimony is, that 
 " Christ died for the ungodly ;" and some have 
 affirmed that justifying faith is nothing more 
 than simply believing this or some other pro- 
 position of the same import. But you already 
 believe this ; nevertheless you are still in bond- 
 age. Your faith, though it include the death 
 of Christ in its objects, is even yet of too gen- 
 eral and of too vague a character to bring you 
 the satisfaction after which you are seeking. 
 It is not enough for you merely to know that 
 " Christ died for the ungodly ;" because this 
 declaration, when compared with other pas- 
 sages, might have signified that Christ died 
 only for a select number of the ungodly; and 
 had it been so, there would have been no war- 
 rant, no ground whatever, for relying upon him 
 as your Saviour. No invitations, however
 
 22 ADMOMTOKV COUNSELS. 
 
 unlimited, no entreaties, however urgent, could 
 rationally justify you in reposing your confi- 
 dence in Christ, unless there be satisfactory 
 grounds for believing that you are one of the 
 ungodly " for vhom Christ died." 
 
 The object of which you are in pursuit is an 
 assurance of your personal interest in the death 
 of the Saviour : the only ground upon which 
 this assurance can rest is the declarations of 
 God's word. It is true, you will not find your 
 name in the sacred book, connected with the 
 statement that you are one for whose benefit 
 the atonement was offered : but your character 
 and condition as a sinner are described ; and 
 whatever is affirmed to have been accomplished 
 for every sinner was, of course, accomplished 
 for you ; it is therefore designed for your en- 
 couragement, and is, on your part, a legitimate 
 object of appropriation. Let us, then, endea- 
 vour to ascertain what the word of God testi- 
 fies, and whether it does not authorize you to 
 believe that Christ died for you. 
 
 The apostle Paul, speaking of Christ Jesus, 
 calls him " my Lord ;" and in another epistle, 
 naming him by his title of Son of God, he adds, 
 " who loved me, and gave himself for me." 
 Each of these passages exhibits an act of ap- 
 propriating faith. Was this appropriating faith 
 a privilege conferred exclusively on the apos- 
 tle ? Certainly not. In this respect he was 
 placed on the same level, and bound by the 
 same conditions as every other Christian be- 
 liever : and the persuasion which he felt was
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 23 
 
 not a privilege peculiar to himself and the rest 
 of the apostles ; it was common to all the faith- 
 ful followers of Christ. As a development 
 of Christian experience, it is not to be regarded 
 as a standard placed immeasurably beyond our 
 reach, but as an example which we are re- 
 quired to imitate ; as indicating a state of mind 
 to which all may attain, and the blessedness 
 of which all may realize. 
 
 In order to evince to you that the confidence 
 expressed by the apostle may be as boldly ex- 
 ercised by you, let me direct you to declarations 
 which, from their explicitness and universality, 
 ought at once to remove hesitation and to ban- 
 ish doubt. The word of God asserts that 
 Christ " gave himself a ransom for all ;" that 
 " he tasted death for every man ;" that " he is 
 a propitiation for the sins of the whole world." 
 Such is the gospel testimony ; and if faith con- 
 sist in believing this testimony, then, in order 
 to exercise this faith, you must believe that 
 Christ has given himself a ransom for you, that 
 he tasted death for you, and that he is a propi- 
 tiation for your sins. 
 
 If, then, your conscience is burdened with 
 the load of its guilt, in order to obtain relief 
 you must, with firm confidence, cast yourself 
 on the atonement of Christ for pardon, cheiish- 
 ing the certain conviction that he is both able 
 and willing even now to save you to the utter- 
 most : you must from your heart believe that all 
 your iniquities were laid upon the Son of God ; 
 that " he bore them in his own body on the
 
 24 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 tree ;" that he " loved you, and gave himself for 
 you," and that consequently he will now give 
 to you " redemption in his blood, even the for- 
 giveness of all your sins." This is justifying 
 faith : in order to exercise it you must make a 
 vigorous effort. Make the effort NOW. Try at 
 this moment to believe, and to apply to yourself 
 the passages you have just read. They are 
 plain and intelligible ; they are the statements 
 of eternal truth ; and you are required to be- 
 lieve them exactly in the same manner that you 
 would believe any other proposition, of the 
 truth of which you are certain. Faith is not 
 enveloped in that mysteriousness and difficulty 
 which some imagine it to possess. Its sim- 
 plicity is its essential characteristic. It is its 
 simplicity, too, at which multitudes stumble, 
 and from which they take occasion to excuse 
 their continuance in unbelief: they cannot di- 
 vest themselves of the impression that faith is 
 the performance of some mighty and almost im- 
 practicable achievement ; whereas it is nothing 
 more than the awakened sinner giving full and 
 entire credit to the plain and unequivocal testi- 
 mony which God has given of his Son. 
 
 The act of believing will, of course, be more 
 or less energetic and intense, accordingly as 
 you feel the importance of the proposition be- 
 lieved, and as you perceive its bearing on your 
 own interests and happiness. The immediate 
 effects of faith will also be proportioned to the 
 vigour with which it is exercised, and to the 
 strength of previous convictions. If you, then.
 
 ADMOMTORV COUNSELS. 25 
 
 conscious of your guilt, believe with due energy 
 and intenseness, that " Christ was crucified for 
 your sins," and that you " have redemption in 
 his blood," you will " have peace with God," 
 as a direct and necessary consequence. You 
 will indeed discover that there is an intimate 
 connection between the exercise of faith, and 
 the possession of peace. How, indeed, can the 
 sinner any longer groan under the burden of 
 his guilt, when he has the persuasion that 
 Christ has borne that burden for him ? How 
 can the self-condemned penitent expect the 
 curse of the law to be his doom, when he be- 
 lieves that Christ " has redeemed him from 
 that curse, by having been made a curse in his 
 stead ?" 
 
 By thus showing the connection which na- 
 turally exists between the exercise of faith and 
 the attainment of peace, let it not be said that 
 the agency of the Spirit, as " the Comforter," 
 is denied ; nor that the necessity of that agency 
 is lessened. The heavenly peace which calms 
 the sinner's conscience is one of the fruits of 
 the Spirit, and therefore the gift of God. But 
 God, in the bestowment of his gifts, requires, 
 on our part, the use of means which he him- 
 self has appointed, and which are also adapted 
 to their end. God, in all his dispensations, 
 acts rationally, not arbitrarily. There is a con- 
 gruity in the operations of grace, as well as in 
 the operations of nature. When the penitent 
 sinner believes that portion of the divine testi- 
 mony which is more directly applicable to his
 
 26 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 case, God gives to that testimony a vitality and 
 a power which render it effectual. Through 
 its medium he communicates the blessing 
 which it unfolds and promises ; and thus the 
 pardoned rebel, while reflecting on the process 
 through which he has passed, regards the ac- 
 quirement of his peace as a direct effect of 
 pardon, and the bestowment of it as absolutely 
 divine. 
 
 If, on believing that Christ has borne all 
 your iniquities, you nevertheless feel destitute 
 of that comfort which you were led to expect, 
 it will, in this case, behoove you to examine 
 yourself, and to inquire whether you are deter- 
 mined to renounce every sin, and to sacrifice 
 every object that may interfere with your sal- 
 vation. Are you certain that you are not en- 
 deavouring to compromise matters between 
 God and your soul ? Is there no darling lust 
 which you wish to retain ? no questionable 
 practice which you are unwilling to relinquish ? 
 Be assured of this, that nothing but a prompt 
 surrender of your whole heart to God can se- 
 cure his acceptance of it. If there be not a 
 determination to crucify every lust, and to 
 abstain from every transgression, your faith, 
 however strong and undoubting, will be utterly 
 unproductive of those results which are pro- 
 mised to the sincerely penitent believer. 
 
 Should your conscience, however, testify 
 that the prevalent desire of your heart is to be 
 cleansed from all sin, then let me exhort you 
 to continue in the exercise of that confidence
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 27 
 
 to which you have attained. Do not murmur 
 if you do not immediately feel the ecstacies of 
 joy ; be thankful if you feel the calmness of 
 peace ; and if even this be not experienced, 
 still hold fast the precious declaration, Christ 
 has loved me, and given himself for me. Cling 
 to the cross as your safe and everlasting refuge, 
 and say, " If I perish, I will perish HERE." 
 Believe that there is an infinite efficacy in the 
 blood of Christ, and that it availed for you, 
 yes, even for you. The faith which in its com- 
 mencement may be feebie and unsteadfast, will, 
 by repeated exercise, be invigorated and es- 
 tablished. That this may be the result, con- 
 template the objects of faith : the more clearly 
 you perceive the magnitude and glory of the 
 object, the more implicit and abiding will be 
 the confidence that you will feel. Let your 
 thoughts dwell on those perfections of the Re- 
 deemer which pre-eminently qualify him for 
 the work which he has accomplished. Meditate 
 on his infinite power, faithfulness, and love. Me- 
 ditate on the immaculate holiness of his nature. 
 Remember that, invested as he was with the 
 attributes of Deity as well as of humanity, his 
 death could not fail to answer the end for which 
 it was designed ; that it was voluntarily sub- 
 mitted to by him, and accepted by the Father 
 as a sacrifice for sin ; that it consequently was 
 an actual atonement for human guilt ; and an 
 atonement offered by a Being of such dignity 
 and perfection could be nothing less than infi- 
 nite in its efficacy, and therefore universal in
 
 28 AUMOMTOHY COUiNSliLS. 
 
 its extent. Accompany these meditations with 
 frequent and wrestling prayer : at the footstool 
 of mercy plead the blood of sprinkling, 
 plead the promises of pardon. God has 
 never yet violated his word : be assured 
 that he never will. Persist in prayer, persist 
 in believing ; and speedily the darkness shall 
 pass away, your bonds shall be loosened, your 
 sorrows shall cease, and light, and liberty, and 
 joy shall take possession of your soul. 
 
 The preceding remarks will tend, I trust, to 
 relieve the minds of iuoe who are so oppressed 
 with a sense of guilt as to imagine themselves 
 excluded from mercy, and whose prospects for 
 eternity are darkened by the overpowering in- 
 fluence of despair. To yield to despair is to 
 dishonour the gospel, and to ruin your soul : it 
 is to believe the false and malignant sugges- 
 tions of the father of lies, and to disbelieve the 
 solemn assurances of the God of truth. 
 
 When you see your guilt in all its aggrava- 
 tion, it is not to be wondered at that you should 
 feel distressed, and even discouraged. But to 
 renounce hope, to refuse consolation, is not 
 merely irrational it is criminal. Trembling 
 penitent, look to the cross. If no other human 
 being has equalled thee in the number and 
 magnitude of thy sins, if thou hast gained the 
 dreadful pre-eminence of being the vilest trans- 
 gressor the earth ever nourished, still thou art 
 not beyond the reach of mercy: for thy en- 
 couragement I would remind thee of the divinely 
 attested fact, that Christ Jesus came into the
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 29 
 
 world to save not only sinners of an ordinary 
 class, but to save even the "CHIEF." 
 
 Let it be supposed that your rebellion has 
 been perpetrated under circumstances which 
 mark your conduct with peculiar baseness ; let 
 it be granted that you have gone to the furthest 
 possible extreme in reckless and ungrateful 
 opposition to God; yet, if you are willing to 
 be reconciled, he is willing to pardon. If you 
 doubt his willingness, you do him an injustice ; 
 an injustice against which he remonstrates : 
 " Come now let us reason together, saith the 
 Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they 
 shall be as white as snow ; though they be red 
 like crimson, they shall be as wool." Do not 
 suspect God to be guilty of falsehood, but be- 
 lieve that he is sincere when he says that he 
 " is not willing that any should perish, but that 
 all should come to repentance ;" that he " wills 
 that all men should be saved, and come to the 
 knowledge of the truth." If you cannot take 
 his word, you will surely credit his oath : " As 
 I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure 
 in the death of the wicked." 
 
 If indeed your guilt had been greater than 
 all the guilt which has been contracted by all 
 the generations of men, from Adam down to 
 the last of his descendants, even then there 
 would have been no rational ground for despair. 
 The unequivocal promises of the gospel, and 
 the ample provision which it unfolds, would 
 have been more than adequate to such an emer- 
 gency. Though your sins were more numer
 
 30 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 ous than the atoms which compose the material 
 universe, though they were blacker and more 
 horrible than the crimes which give to hell all 
 its darkness and pollution, they could not sur- 
 pass the efficacy of that atonement ; for that 
 efficacy is infinite : they could not extend be- 
 yond the reach of that intercession, the preva- 
 lence of which is omnipotent. 
 
 There is not an argument, however plausi- 
 ble, by which you may attempt to justify your 
 unbelief, which is not answered, refuted, and 
 silenced by the explicit, unquestionable, and 
 glorious declaration, "The blood of Jesus 
 Christ cleanseth from ALL SIN." Believe this, 
 despairing penitent; believe it^br thyself. By 
 thus believing, thy condition cannot be ren- 
 dered worse : it may, it will be rendered bet- 
 ter. Try the experiment. Struggle to be free. 
 With one bold effort venture to cast thy soul on 
 Jesus ; on him " who is able to save thee to the 
 very uttermost ;" on him who has said, " Him 
 that cometh unto me / will in no wise cast out." 
 
 From what has been said, it will be obvious 
 that justifying faith is your own voluntary act : 
 nevertheless, in the exercise of it you need the 
 assistance of the Holy Spirit. Faith is an ef- 
 fect of the Holy Spirit's influence : it is there- 
 fore " the gift of God." But in what sense is 
 it a divine gift? Not surely in such a sense as to 
 render us merely passive machines in believing ; 
 which, in fact, involves a palpable contradiction. 
 
 The agency of the Spirit is designed not to 
 supersede our own exertions, but to rouse, in-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 31 
 
 vigorate, and direct them. Faith is " the gift 
 of God" in the same sense, and to the same 
 extent, as meekness, patience, gentleness, &c. 
 These, along with faith, are declared to be 
 " the fruit of the Spirit." But no one, savingly 
 enlightened, will on this account conclude that 
 he is freed from the obligation of striving to be 
 meek, patient, and gentle ; neither, while dili- 
 gently cultivating these heavenly graces, will 
 he imagine that he implants them in his heart, 
 and develops them in his conduct by his own 
 unaided power. Thus it is with faith. It is 
 your duty to endeavour to believe ; and while 
 making the effort, it is your privilege to look 
 up to God for the influence of his Spirit, that 
 your understanding may be illuminated, and 
 that your heart may be opened to receive the 
 truth. God bestows faith by removing spiritual 
 insensibility, darkness, and pride ; by imparting 
 right views of the plan of salvation ; by giving 
 a clear discernment of the glories of Christ, of 
 the sufficiency of the atonement, and of the cer- 
 tainty of the promises. " By the Spirit" the 
 penitent is " strengthened with might in the 
 inner man :" in the power of this might he rests 
 on the atonement, and relies on the promises 
 for his personal and present salvation. 
 
 I cannot close this chapter without express- 
 ing my fears that there are many who join 
 Methodist societies, and who continue for years 
 in church membership, who never obtain, who 
 do not even earnestly seek an assurance of 
 pardon. Either they are never thoroughly
 
 32 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 awakened to a sense of their danger ; or they 
 allow the impressions of their sinfulness to be- 
 come extinct ; or they satisfy themselves with 
 good desires and resolutions, and with the ob- 
 servance of religious duties ; or they perhaps 
 suppose that their constitutional temperament 
 does not admit of their living in the enjoyment 
 of gospel privileges. Reader, do you belong 
 to this class of persons ? Are you neither en- 
 joying nor earnestly seeking a clear sense of 
 the favour of God ? And in this state of spirit- 
 ual deadness are you united, or are you about 
 to be united to a Methodist society ? If such 
 be your state, it is truly awful. Yes, yours is 
 an awful state. Either you are a hypocrite or 
 a self-deceiver. Either you have assumed a 
 religious profession without any desire after 
 salvation, or you are falsely reconciling your 
 mind to the absence of one of the most precious 
 privileges which the gospel confers. Compare 
 your spiritual attainments with the standard of 
 God's word, and you will discover that to expe- 
 rience the cleansing and peace-giving efficacy 
 of the blood of Christ, to feel the Holy Spirit 
 bearing witness with our spirit that we are the 
 children of God, are blessings placed within 
 the reach of all ; blessings which all are re- 
 quired to possess, and to secure which every 
 one ought to labour with assiduous and perse- 
 vering energy. 
 
 In wilfully continuing destitute of the witness 
 of the Spirit, you are as a Methodist strangely 
 inconsistent. The inculcation of this doctrine
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 33 
 
 was a striking peculiarity in the labours of the 
 Wesleys and their coadjutors ; and their suc- 
 cessors have ever considered themselves bound 
 to give it prominence in their discourses. In 
 neglecting to realize this blessing, you are 
 therefore resisting all the appeals and conside- 
 rations by which your ministers urge its at- 
 tainment upon you ; you are chargeable with 
 acting in opposition to your professed princi- 
 ples, and you are pursuing a course which, if 
 continued, will conduct you to that state of 
 false security in which you may have " a name 
 to live," while you are in reality " dead." 
 
 Admitting that you are sincere, but that, you 
 have hitherto been mistaken in your views of 
 Christian experience, remember that you can 
 now no longer plead ignorance as your excuse. 
 Having been informed of the nature, and warned 
 of the consequences of your error, it cannot 
 now be innocently entertained. If indeed it still 
 retain its darkening influence over you, you 
 will be guilty of " receiving the grace of God 
 in vain." Religion is designed to make you 
 happy ; but you cannot be religiously happy 
 while unpardoned sin remains upon your con- 
 science. Religion is designed to make you 
 useful ; but you cannot be religiously useful 
 unless you love God. You cannot love God 
 unless you know and feel that he has first loved 
 you. So long, therefore, as you are destitute 
 of the Holy Spirit's witness of your adoption, 
 you are wanting in those qualifications which 
 are essential to a cheerful and acceptable obe- 
 li
 
 34 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 dience to the divine commands. The obedi- 
 ence that you may attempt to perform will be 
 partial, fluctuating, and heartless ; it will be 
 the constrained service of a slave, accompanied 
 by a spirit of bondage and of fear ; while its con- 
 taminating influence will diffuse a spirit of luke- 
 warmness among those of your fellow Chris- 
 tians who may be so unfortunate as to share in 
 your intimacy. 
 
 If then you value your peace, if you value 
 your soul, be determined never to rest until you 
 have obtained a clear evidence of pardon. Let 
 no one persuade you that the privilege is either 
 unimportant or unnecessary. Let neither the 
 devices of the devil, nor the sophistries of men, 
 nor the sluggishness of your own nature, de- 
 prive you of this invaluable blessing. 
 
 Reader, is this remonstrance inapplicable to 
 you ? I mean, are you a hypocrite ? Is it true 
 that you have dared to enter the church of God 
 without feeling one good desire, without form- 
 ing one holy purpose 1 No language that I can 
 adopt can give even the faintest delineation of 
 the folly and wickedness of your conduct. The 
 most fertile imagination is incapable of forming 
 any thing like an adequate conception of the 
 dreadfulness of that punishment with which 
 you will be visited, if you persist in your pre- 
 sent course. To describe your doom I will 
 not, cannot attempt. I will only remind you, 
 that of hypocrites it is said, " outer darkness" 
 will be their everlasting habitation ; and weep- 
 ing, wailing, and gnashing of teeth their per-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 35 
 
 petual employment. Ponder, I beseech you, 
 the awful threatenings of divine justice. Be 
 sincere. Flee to the cross. Give your heart 
 to God, and he will give himself to you. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ON SANCTIFICATION. 
 
 I SHALL now, my dear reader, consider you 
 as having exercised that faith by which you are 
 justified, and in consequence of which you 
 have peace with God. Being freed from the 
 condemnation of sin, and having a vivid per- 
 ception of its deformity, you are, perhaps, ready 
 to conclude that it has taken its final departure, 
 and that it will never again either distress or 
 alarm you. While I would not needlessly cast 
 a damp upon your spirits, Christian fidelity 
 requires me to admonish you, that you are not, 
 from your present happy feelings, to infer that 
 the work of salvation is completed : the most 
 arduous and important portion of it is only 
 commenced. 
 
 Having obtained the blessing of justification, 
 you must now labour after sanctification. In a 
 measure, you are already sanctified. Your 
 heart is changed ; you hate sin ; you love God. 
 Nevertheless, you feel your need of a higher 
 state of purity. This necessity of a more en- 
 tire purification will be felt the more strongly,
 
 36 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 as you become better acquainted with yourself, 
 and with the lofty and spiritual requirements 
 of the gospel. Nor must you allow your mind 
 to be overwhelmed either with astonishment or 
 despair, if you should shortly feel the workings 
 of inbred corruption. It is more than probable 
 that you will be harassed by wandering 
 thoughts, and chilled by cold affections ; that 
 unholy desires and evil tempers will struggle 
 for the ascendency ; that you will have to com- 
 plain of short-comings in devotion, and of luke- 
 warmness and unfaithfulness in the service of 
 God. 
 
 In your happiest and holiest state of feeling 
 you will, indeed, lie prostrate at the footstool 
 of mercy, acknowledging that you are an " un- 
 profitable servant," and regarding yourself as 
 " less than the least of all saints." This kind 
 of humiliation is, however, widely different 
 from that which arises from the conscious and 
 wilful neglect of duty, or from the allowed pre- 
 valence of lukewarm affections. The humilia- 
 tion which is felt under such circumstances is 
 necessarily attended with doubt, self-condem- 
 nation, and discouragement ; while that which 
 is cherished by the faithful follower of Christ 
 is connected with a clear manifestation of the 
 divine favour, and is perfectly consistent with 
 the highest confidence, and with the most 
 abundant joy. 
 
 It is not to be expected, that in the com- 
 mencement of a religious course, there should 
 be all the maturity and strength of a more ad-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 37 
 
 vanced stage of religious experience. Faith, 
 in its first exercises, is frequently feeble and 
 fluctuating : so long as this is the case, conso- 
 lation cannot abound. Hope will be mingled 
 with fear. Sin, though it will not absolutely 
 reign, will painfully harass ; so much so, that 
 at times the young convert may be led to doubt 
 whether he has ever been made a partaker of 
 the grace of God. 
 
 Whatever may be the peculiarities of early 
 religious experience whether faith, in its com- 
 mencement, be feeble, or whether it be vigorous 
 it is plainly the duty of every one who pro- 
 fesses attachment to Christ, to press after the 
 highest attainments in holiness. He who is 
 born of God, and who has received the Spirit 
 of adoption, hungers and thirsts after righteous- 
 ness. He is impelled to the pursuit of it by the 
 hallowing influence of the cross, and by the 
 constraining power of divine love. The cross 
 has given him so strong an impression of the 
 evil of sin as to cause him to loathe it, and in- 
 stinctively to seek its extermination from his 
 heart. The love of God in the bestowment of 
 pardon has so affected him, that, from a princi- 
 ple of gratitude, he feels bound to consecra e 
 all his ransomed powers to the service of Him 
 who bought him with his blood. As a natural 
 consequence, therefore, of his reconciliation to 
 God, he struggles for an entire freedom from 
 sin, and aspires after a perfect conformity to 
 the divine law. 
 
 It is in this entire freedom from sin, and iu
 
 38 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 this perfect conformity to the divine law, ;hat 
 perfected sanctification essentially consists. It 
 is supreme love to God, and universal benevo- 
 lence to man. When these great principles 
 are implanted in the heart, they ensure the 
 performance of every Christian duty, and the 
 development of every Christian virtue. 
 
 He who supremely loves God, pants after 
 him, delights in him, trusts in him, and sub- 
 mits to him. He stands in awe of the divine 
 majesty; he is filled with reverence, and sunk 
 into the depths of self-abasement, when he 
 contemplates the immaculate holiness and 
 boundless sovereignty of Jehovah. He lives 
 in the spirit of devotion. The service of God 
 is his delightful employment, and the glory of 
 God his perpetual aim. The obedience which 
 he performs is unreserved and universal ; it is 
 rendered with the whole heart, and it has re- 
 spect unto all the divine commandments. It 
 is evinced by self-government and self-denial ; 
 the appetites are in subjection ; the flesh is 
 crucified with the affections and lusts. It in- 
 cludes deadness to the world, a holy superi- 
 ority to its cares and pleasures, and a capabil- 
 ity of attending to its concerns with a mind so 
 habitually stayed upon God as to be kept in 
 perfect peace. Thus the sanctified believer 
 lives to God, he walks with God, his soul 
 centres in God. From God his happiness is 
 continually drawn, and to his authority he con- 
 tinually refers. He therefore orders his con- 
 versation aright. Prayer and praise, faith and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 39 
 
 love, constitute the elements of his spiritual 
 existence. Sustained by divine power, and 
 guided by divine wisdom, he steadfastly pur- 
 sues the narrow path, and daily increases in 
 meetnessforthe inheritance of the saints in light. 
 That entire devotedness to God which is an 
 in7ariable characteristic of sanctification, will 
 manifest itself by zealous endeavours to pro- 
 mote the best interests of man. He who loves 
 God with all his heart, loves his neighbour as 
 himself. He cherishes feelings of disinterest- 
 ed kindness toward every human being. " As 
 he has opportunity he does good unto all men, 
 especially unto them that are of the household 
 of faith." The interests of the church of God 
 lie near to his heart. The prosperity of the 
 church he makes the subject of unceasing 
 prayer, and the object of strenuous and perse- 
 vering effort. Enjoying, as he does, the bless- 
 edness of religion, he longs to be the medium 
 of communicating its blessedness to others. In 
 whatever department of usefulness he may be 
 qualified and called to act, he performs the 
 duties of it cheerfully. Whatever powers or 
 resources he may possess, he regards as talents 
 committed to his trust, and for which he will 
 be required to give an account ; he consequently 
 feels bound to employ them for the good of 
 others, and for the glory of God. In his la- 
 bours of love he is not prompted by moment- 
 ary impulses ; he is governed by principle ; 
 he acts from convictions of duty ; and while 
 free from the guilt of lukewarmness, his zeal
 
 40 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 has a steadiness and consistency of character 
 which give additional value and efficiency to 
 all its exertions. 
 
 It might here be considered unnecessary to 
 state that he whose heart expands with bene- 
 volence, will regulate his conduct by the dic- 
 tates of justice. " Love worketh no ill to his 
 neighbour ;" it eradicates selfishness, and sub- 
 stitutes for it a well-regulated and disinterested 
 self-love. It does not annihilate that desire 
 after happiness which forms a part of our na- 
 ture, but so directs its operations as to render 
 the gratification of it consistent with a proper 
 regard to the rightful claims of our fellow-men. 
 It engraves deeply on the heart that golden 
 rule of equity, " All things whatsoever ye would 
 that men should do to you, do ye even so to 
 them." The sanctified Christian takes this 
 precept for his guide. He embodies it in all 
 his proceedings. He conforms toil even when 
 his present interests, or his future advantage, 
 might seem to require a different course of con- 
 duct. Actuated by this ennobling principle, no 
 prospect of emolument will induce him to 
 commit an act of injustice, no assurance of 
 impunity will render him dishonest. He will 
 abhor duplicity and meanness. In all his 
 words and in all his actions there will be a 
 manifest kindness and sincerity which will win 
 confidence ; a high and holy sense of honour 
 which will command respect. Piety, justice, 
 and benevolence form the basis of his cha- 
 racter : in the development of these great princi-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 41 
 
 pies he will adorn the gospel, and recommend 
 its claims. 
 
 While sanctification includes a strict ad- 
 herence to the rules of uprightness, it condemns 
 that unamiable sternness with which unbending 
 integrity is too often associated. It abases 
 pride, and rectifies the temper. In order to be 
 holy it is as necessary to be humble and meek, 
 as it is to be truthful and honest. He who is 
 sanctified is gentle, patient, and forgiving. He 
 is free from discontent, not only when circum- 
 stances are favourable to his interests, and ac- 
 cording to his wishes ; but under trials and 
 disappointments he suppresses every murmur- 
 ing thought, and yields a childlike submission 
 to the will of God. He puts away anger, bit- 
 terness, wrath, and malice ; not only when all 
 with whom he is connected act toward him in 
 the spirit of equity and of kindness, but when 
 injury is inflicted upon him, when insult is of- 
 fered, when his benefits are repaid with ingrat- 
 itude, when his motives are misconstrued, and 
 his reputation slandered : it is under such 
 circumstances as these that the sanctified 
 Christian exhibits the perfection of holiness, 
 by the exercise of forbearance, and by evincing 
 a readiness to forgive. He loves his enemies ; 
 he does not allow himself to exaggerate their 
 misconduct ; he cherishes toward them no re- 
 sentment ; he retaliates not for the injuries he 
 has received ; he overcomes evil with good ; 
 he prays for them that curse him, and blesses 
 them that despitefully use him.
 
 42 ADMONITORV COUNSELS. 
 
 In a word, sanctification consists in the 
 manifestation of that love which " suffereth long 
 and is kind, which envieth not, vaunteth not 
 itself, and which is not puffed up ; which doth 
 not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her 
 own, is not easily provoked, and thinketh no 
 evil ; which rejoiceth not in iniquity, but 
 rejoiceth in the truth ; which beareth all 
 things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, 
 and endureth all things."* Sanctification con- 
 sists in bringing forth " the fruits of the Spirit, 
 which are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle- 
 ness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." 
 It is " adding to our faith, fortitude ; and to forti- 
 tude, knowledge ; and to knowledge, tempe- 
 rance ; and to temperance, patience ; and to 
 patience, godliness ; and to godliness, brotherly- 
 kindness ; and to brotherly-kindness, love."f 
 It is the possession of that " wisdom which 
 is from above ; which is first pure, then 
 peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full 
 of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, 
 and without hypocrisy." 
 
 If then you wish thoroughly to understand 
 the nature, and fully to realize the blessing, of 
 sanctification, study the passages you have just 
 read. Contemplate the virtues and duties which 
 
 * The author would strongly recommend to the perusal 
 of his readers that admirable work, " Christian Charity 
 explained," by the Rev. J. A. James. 
 
 t This passage is beautifully illustrated in " Christian 
 Characteristics," by the Rev. T. Lewis : a publication of 
 the Tract Society.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 43 
 
 they enumerate ; and remember that sanctifica- 
 tion is the unceasing cultivation of these virtues, 
 and the faithful performance of these duties. 
 
 A calm consideration of the preceding quota- 
 tions will convince you that spiritual pride and 
 self-sufficiency form no part of Christian holi- 
 ness ; but that humility is one of its essential 
 ingredients, and that this heavenly virtue main- 
 tains the most dominant influence in the heart 
 of him who is perfected in love. In the deport- 
 ment of the sanctified Christian there is no 
 assumption of superiority; nothing which 
 seems to say to his fellow Christian, " Stand 
 off, for I am holier than thou ;" on the contrary, 
 " in lowliness of mind he esteems others better 
 than himself," and feels willing to sit at the 
 feet of the meanest of Christ's followers, that 
 he may be stimulated by their example, and 
 edified by their admonitions. 
 
 The preceding statements and quotations 
 warrant the conclusion that sanctification is 
 not merely a happy state of feeling, but that it 
 is also a course of holy conduct. It is neither 
 the one nor the other exclusively, but a union 
 of both. I am particularly anxious to press 
 this point upon your attention, because there 
 is, I think, reason to fear that some persons 
 have but partial and contracted views orv the 
 subject. They seem to. imagine that sanctifi- 
 cation consists simply in the enjoyment of 
 gospel privileges : at least they do not suffi 
 ciently keep in mind that it essentially in 
 eludes the performance of gospel duties. By
 
 44 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 some it is supposed to be identified with a high 
 degree of excitement, the lessening of which 
 is regarded as the entire loss of a blessing 
 which they thought they had permanently se- 
 cured. Whereas the change may be nothing 
 more than the operation of physical causes 
 producing their necessary results, while the 
 heart may still retain a fixed hatred to sin, and 
 be fixed in its purpose of entire devotedness to 
 God. Let it not be supposed that the believer 
 is ever to content himself with the absence of 
 that peace and joy which are the fruits of the 
 Spirit, and which, therefore, may and ought to 
 be continually possessed. What I mean is, 
 that in order to be sanctified, it is not needful 
 to be always in ecstasies. Perpetual ecstasy 
 is in the present state impossible ; nor, if pos- 
 sible, would it be desirable ; its constant prev- 
 alence would unfit us for the ordinary duties 
 of life, and would, probably, by exhausting the 
 powers of nature, prematurely terminate our 
 period of probation. 
 
 When the Christian, deeply engaged in the 
 exercises of prayer, faith, and love, receives 
 such manifestations of the divine glory as 
 almost overpower his soul, he would fain con- 
 tinue in such a frame as this, he would retain 
 for ever this superabundance of joy. He finds, 
 however, that, like Peter, he must descend 
 from the mount ; not to be deprived of the pre- 
 sence and friendship of his divine Master, but 
 to share in his sorrows and temptations, and to 
 follow him in his course of active benevolence
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 45 
 
 and zeal. The Christian regards these special 
 visitations from heaven, as designed to invigo- 
 rate him for future conflict, and to fit him for 
 future duty ; as intended to prepare him for 
 suffering and self-denial, and to qualify him for 
 more arduous and efficient labours in the cause 
 of his Redeemer. 
 
 That excitement which is genuine has a pu- 
 rifying and humbling, as well as elevating, in- 
 fluence. Its effects are not transient, but per 
 manent. It is riot the effervescence of passion ; 
 it is the operation of principle. It is the power 
 of truth acting upon the sensibilities and affec- 
 tions of the heart. It is the result of divine 
 agency. The feelings it produces are conse- 
 quently as solemn as they are delightful, and 
 as holy as they are powerful. 
 
 In the pursuit of holiness aim at nothing less 
 than a full conformity to the gospel standard. 
 This standard requires you to surrender your 
 whole heart to God, and to consecrate all your 
 powers to his service. This is Christian per- 
 fection. Angelic perfection you cannot acquire. 
 Adamic perfection you cannot recover. But 
 Christian perfection is attainable by all ; unless, 
 indeed, God has enjoined precepts which he 
 never intended his people to obey, and given 
 promises which he never intended to perform. 
 Those who oppose this great truth confine their 
 attention too much to the total depravity, and 
 consequent moral impotence of man ; and lose 
 sight of the omnipotence of God, the all-suffi- 
 ciency of his grace, the unbounded efficacy of
 
 46 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 the Saviour's atonement, and the equal preva- 
 lence of his intercession. With God all things 
 are possible. There is no enmity, however 
 bitter, which he cannot subdue ; no heart, how- 
 ever hard, which he cannot soften ; no pride, 
 however lofty, which he cannot abase ; no pol- 
 lution, however foul, which he cannot cleanse. 
 But to the law and to the testimony : what 
 saith the Scripture ? What are the divine re- 
 quirements and promises on this all-important 
 subject ? For by these must our convictions, 
 our hopes, and our efforts be governed. Give 
 your prayerful consideration to the following 
 passages of God's word ; and the result will, I 
 doubt not, be a stronger persuasion than you 
 have hitherto cherished of the reality and at- 
 tainableness of Christian perfection : " Thou 
 shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
 and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, 
 and with all thy strength ; and thy neighbour 
 as thyself." " The Lord thy God shall circum- 
 cise thine heart, to love the Lord thy God 
 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul." 
 " I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and 
 ye shall be clean ; from all your filthiness 
 will I cleanse you." " Sin shall not have do- 
 minion over you." " Being made free from 
 sin, ye have your fruit unto holiness." " Be 
 ye filled with the Spirit." " Let us go on unto 
 perfection." " Having these promises, let us 
 cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh 
 and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of 
 God." " Praying fervently that ye may stand
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 47 
 
 perfect and complete in all the will of God." 
 "And the very God of peace sanctify you 
 wholly ; and may your whole spirit, soul, and 
 body be preserved blameless unto the coming 
 of Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who 
 also will do it." " He is faithful and just to 
 cleanse us from all unrighteousness." To 
 save the trouble of multiplying quotations, I 
 refer you to Luke i, 6 ; Acts xi, 24 ; Phil, ii, 
 15; 2 Peter iii, 14; Ephes. v, 26, 27; Col. 
 i, 22; 1 Thess. iii, 13; Titus ii, 12-14; 
 2 Thess. iii, 3 ; Heb. xiii, 21. 
 
 If the exhortations, prayers, and promises 
 which I have just quoted and referred to, do 
 not prove the possibility of our being per- 
 fected in holiness, they prove nothing. Let 
 all these passages be examined, in connection 
 with the verses which immediately precede 
 and follow them, so that their general scope 
 and original application may be ascertained ; 
 let them be diligently compared with other 
 passages of the same import, and with the 
 tenor of the Scriptures ; and it will, I think, be 
 found, by every prayerful and candid inquirer, 
 that to love God with all the heart, and to 
 serve him constantly with a willing mind, are 
 obligations which it is practicable for every 
 Christian to fulfil, and privileges which it is 
 possible for every Christian to enjoy. 
 
 By Christian perfection, we do not mean 
 a perfection that is incapable of improve- 
 ment. Its invariable and leading characteristic 
 is a daily advancement in practical piety.
 
 48 ADMONITORV COUNSELS. 
 
 Sanctification, in the highest degree of it, is 
 essentially a progressive work. Its operations, 
 in this respect, are in perfect accordance with 
 the constitution of the human mind. It is by 
 a gradual process that knowledge is acquired, 
 and the intellectual faculties invigorated. The 
 faith and love of the Christian gradually in- 
 crease ; " he grows in grace ;" " he goes on from 
 strength to strength ;" he " abounds more and 
 more" in the fruits of righteousness. The prin- 
 ciples of holiness gain maturity and predomi- 
 nance by continued cultivation ; and religious 
 duties acquire the power and fixedness of habits 
 by oft-repeated and persevering exercise. As 
 the understanding is more fully enlightened, its 
 discernment of the things of God is rendered 
 more distinct and comprehensive. As the 
 heart receives increasingly powerful impres- 
 sions of divine truth, it becomes the more 
 firmly " established with grace." Thus is 
 the character formed and perfected ; thus is 
 it made to exhibit, in delightful proportion, 
 the features of Christian excellence, and to 
 shine forth in all the beauties of holiness. 
 
 The progressiveness of sanctification is in 
 no way inconsistent with those powerful 
 operations of the Spirit with which the be- 
 liever is at times favoured, by which his 
 remaining corruptions receive an instanta- 
 neous death-blow, and his soul is filled with 
 the purity and joy of perfect love. While it is 
 maintained that intellectual improvement is 
 mainly and necessarily progressive, it must also
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 49 
 
 be admitted that the human mind is capable of 
 receiving impressions which produce an instan- 
 taneous change in its convictions, reversing 
 some of its strongest feelings, and removing 
 the most deeply rooted prejudices. By an un- 
 expected turn of thought, a question which has 
 long been the subject of toilsome and perplex- 
 ing investigation may be suddenly divested of 
 all its difficulties, and be exhibited in its true 
 nature and bearings, so that the future contem- 
 plation of it shall be attended with the light and 
 certainty of truth. If then there be nothing 
 either irrational or unphilosophical in the sup- 
 position that the human mind may undergo a 
 sudden revolution of opinion or of feeling in re- 
 ference to sublunary matters, where is the ab- 
 surdity of believing it possible for God to com- 
 municate instantaneously such a measure of 
 divine influence as shall at once destroy the 
 body of sin, and fill the heart with love and de- 
 votedness to himself? If, in one hour, the 
 partially sanctified Christian is lamenting the 
 lukewarmness of his affection, the petulance 
 of his temper, and the unfaithfulness of his ser- 
 vices, why should it bo deemed a thing incred- 
 ible or impossible, that in the next hour God 
 should put an end to these complainings by 
 cleansing the soul from all unrighteousness, by 
 strengthening it with all might, and by giving 
 the principles and purposes of obedience an 
 absolute dominion ? 
 
 While thus maintaining the possibility of an 
 instantaneous purification of the heart, I am by 
 4
 
 50 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 no means prepared to contend that this is the 
 precise and only mode, or the one which God 
 invariably and universally adopts in accomplish- 
 ing the designs of his mercy. Undoubtedly 
 there must be a point of time in the history of 
 every believer when sin ceases to exist in the 
 heart, and when holiness commences its reign ; 
 but in some, sin may have been weakened by 
 a process so gradual that the moment of its final 
 extinction may not be perceptible. Neither 
 may the interesting crisis be always attended 
 with those powerful manifestations with which 
 some are so happily favoured. That God who 
 knows our frame, our wants, and our circum- 
 stances, may so diversify the operations of his 
 grace, as to adapt them to our peculiarities of 
 temperament and character. Provided we ob- 
 tain the blessing, the mode of its bestowment 
 is of little importance. 
 
 Be determined, therefore, to labour after a 
 perfect conformity to the image of Christ ; fix 
 your heart on the attainment of this exalted 
 privilege ; let your efforts be strenuous and 
 unremitting ; never rest until you have a dis- 
 tinct consciousness that you love God with a 
 supreme and all-absorbing affection. If you 
 aim at less than this, your spiritual energies 
 will languish : instead of zeal there will be 
 lukewarmness ; instead of devotion, formality ; 
 instead of advancement in piety, there will be 
 manifest declension. If you intend to be faith- 
 ful to yourself, and to your God, you will aim 
 at perfection ; if you wish to honour him who
 
 ADMON'ITORY COUNSELS. 51 
 
 loved you, and gave himself for you, you will 
 aim at perfection ; if you desire to be happy in 
 your own soul, and to be a blessing to the 
 church and to the world, you will aim at per- 
 fection ; if you have " respect unto the recom- 
 pense of reward," in short, if, as a Christian, 
 you are sincere, you will aim at perfection. 
 
 You scarcely need to be informed that, in 
 the pursuit of this great blessing, diligence in 
 the means of grace is imperatively requisite. 
 But you must never lose sight of the all-import- 
 ant fact, that faith is the direct instrument of 
 your sanctification. The Christian " lives by 
 faith ;" he "walks by faith ;" his heart is " puri- 
 fied by faith ;" he is " sanctified by faith that 
 is in Christ Jesus." If this truth had not been 
 thus explicitly stated, it must have been inferred 
 from those declarations which inform us that 
 sanctification is the work of a divine agent ; 
 that it is also the subject of promise ; and that 
 it is accomplished in us through the mediation 
 of the Son of God. 
 
 That you may properly exercise the faith 
 which sanctifies, your attention must first be 
 directed to the power of the Holy Ghost ; 
 whose prerogative it is to cleanse the heart 
 from sin, and to make it his constant habitation. 
 You must have the assurance that the Spirit of 
 God is fully competent to the work he has un- 
 dertaken ; that, as his resources are inexhaust- 
 ible, he is able to supply the most pressing 
 wants, to satisfy the most enlarged desires ; 
 that, as his energy is infinite, he is able to con
 
 52 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 quer the most formidable enemies, and to eradi 
 cate the foulest and most deeply rooted cor- 
 ruption. Cherish, therefore, an undoubting 
 conviction of the all-sufficiency of divine in- 
 fluence ; upon this influence place your entire 
 dependance ; submit yourself at once to its 
 control ; and with wrestling and unceasing 
 prayer, beseech God to give you his Holy Spirit 
 in all the power and plentitude of his sanctify- 
 ing operations. 
 
 Your faith must also rest on the promises of 
 sanctification. You must meditate upon them, 
 mention them, and plead them at the throne of 
 grace. With bold but humble importunity, 
 you must not only implore the fulfilment of 
 them, but with confidence expect that fulfilment. 
 Contemplating the fulness, the freeness, and 
 the certainty of these promises, they must be 
 the objects of a firm reliance, and the founda- 
 tion of a steadfast hope ; they must, in fact, be 
 regarded as the engagements of Him who can- 
 not lie. Do not question either the faithfulness 
 or the mercy of God. Hold fast to the persua- 
 sion that he is not only willing to sanctify you, 
 but that it is his will you should be sanctified. 
 Your sanctification is not only an event to which 
 he feels no repugnance ; it is an event on 
 which his holy and benevolent mind is intently 
 fixed ; it is an event which he has pledged 
 himself to accomplish for all who yield them- 
 selves up to his government and service. Sol- 
 emnly dedicate all your powers to God. Sur- 
 render your whole heart to him ; offer it him
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 53 
 
 with all its wanderings, with all its pride, and 
 with all its remaining corruption. He will 
 prove himself faithful ; he will be true to his 
 word : only believe ; all things are possible to 
 him that believeth. 
 
 Gospel promises are fulfilled, and gospel bles- 
 sings are communicated, only through Christ. 
 To Christ crucified, to Christ glorified, must you 
 therefore look as the only medium of sanctifi- 
 cation. It is out ot his fulness that grace is 
 imparted ; it is in consequence of his interces- 
 sion that believers are " endued with power 
 from on high." His death purchased your re- 
 storation not only to the favour, but also to the 
 image of God. The object of his advocacy is 
 to invest his people with those benefits which 
 his death procured. If, then, you wish to be 
 fully sanctified, you must repose your confidence 
 in the great Mediator ; regarding him as the 
 Head of the church, into whose hands the dis- 
 pensation of the Spirit is committed ; and be- 
 lieving that his blood purgeth the conscience, 
 not only from the guilt, but also from the 
 defilement, of dead works ; and that, by the 
 agency of the Spirit, he will, in his own right, 
 reign without a rival in the hearts of his people. 
 " He gave himself for them, that he might 
 redeem them from all iniquity, and that he 
 might purify them unto himself a peculiar peo- 
 ple, zealous of good works." They are '" sancti- 
 fied in his name ;" and his power resting upon 
 them enables them to glory in their infirmities, 
 and to consecrate themselves fully to his service.
 
 54 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 How glorious are the objects, how ample the 
 grounds, of that faith by which the heart is 
 purified! Here is an Agent who is omnipo- 
 tent ; here are promises which are immutable ; 
 here is a Mediator who is the same yesterday, 
 to-day, and for ever. An abundant provision 
 of spiritual blessings is here offered to our 
 acceptance, and placed within our reach. 
 Perfect holiness is purchased, is promised, is 
 ready to take possession of our hearts, that it 
 may diffuse its hallowing influence over us, 
 and develop its legitimate fruits in our conduct. 
 It can neither be in accordance with the divine 
 will, nor can it be promotive of the divine 
 glory, that sin should remain in us to darken 
 our perceptions and to interrupt our joy. If 
 indeed we are required to love God with all 
 our hearts, to rejoice in the Lord always, and 
 yet fail to conform to this elevated standard of 
 piety, the failure cannot be well-pleasing to 
 Him who has said, " Be ye holy, for I am 
 holy." Sin, in all its modifications, is un- 
 changeably opposed to the will of God ; he 
 looks upon its feeblest operations with ab- 
 horrence : it must, therefore, be his will concern- 
 ing us, that we should be free from sin, and 
 that not in a year or in a month hence, but to- 
 day ; if, in the present hour, or in the present 
 moment, the power of sin could be overthrown, 
 and the heart filled with purity and love, there 
 would surely be nothing in such an event, 
 either dishonourable to God, or injurious to 
 ourselves. And is it not possible ? Who shall
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS 55 
 
 limit the Holy One of Israel ? Is not the 
 fountain always open ; open for sin and for un- 
 cleanness 1 It is open, it is continually free 
 of access ; and if we do not experience the full 
 extent of its efficacy, it is because of our un- 
 belief. It is unbelief that gives strength to 
 corruption, that gives distraction to our prayers, 
 and coldness to our affections. Endeavour 
 then to believe. Contemplate the power 
 of the Spirit : dwell on the certainty of. the 
 promises: appropriate Christ to yourself as your 
 Advocate with the Father ; and believe that he 
 is not only able, but willing and ready, to 
 glorify himself by effecting your entire sancti- 
 fication. 
 
 For more extensive information, and more 
 specific directions, on this interesting topic, I 
 refer you to Mr. Wesley's " Plain Account of 
 Christian Perfection." If you have leisure and 
 inclination to enter into the arguments by 
 which the doctrine is opposed and defended, 
 you will find the principal of them in Mr. 
 Fletcher's t Last Check to Antinomianism." 
 The Rev. Mr. Treffry has also published a 
 work on this subject, which, I doubt not, is 
 worthy of the well-known character and talents 
 of the author. You will find yourself greatly 
 quickened in the pursuit of sanctification by 
 perusing the memoris of eminent Christians ; 
 such as Mr. Wesley, Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, 
 Lady Maxwell, Mrs. H. A. Rogers, D. Stoner, 
 J. Smith, Williams of Kidderminster, &c.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ON THE MEANS OF PROMOTING PERSONAL 
 RELIGION, WATCHFULNESS AND SELF-EX- 
 AMINATION. 
 
 FOR all the consolation you enjoy, and for 
 all the moral energy you possess as a Christian, 
 you are indebted to the agency of the Holy 
 Spirit. It is he who worketh in you to will 
 and to do of his good pleasure. The necessity 
 of this agency you cannot too deeply feel: your 
 dependance upon it can neither be too constant 
 nor too exclusive. While, however, you are 
 indebted to divine influence for peace of mind 
 and holiness of character, you must never 
 forget that the bestowment of this influence is 
 governed by laws which God himself has 
 appointed, and to which he requires a faithful 
 obedience. In the exercise of infinite wisdom 
 and benevolence, he has determined to com- 
 municate his grace to those who use the means 
 of obtaining it ; and these means are the ordi- 
 nances which he himself has instituted, and 
 in the observance of which we become the 
 recipients of those blessings that accompany 
 salvation. 
 
 The fact that these means are of divine 
 appointment, is of itself sufficient to render the 
 observance of them matter of imperative obliga- 
 tion. We are not, however, required to adopt 
 themmerely because God has enjoined them ; foi
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 57 
 
 they are as much the indications of his good- 
 ness, as they are of his authority. They 
 recommend themselves to us because they are 
 simple, suitable, and practicable. They are 
 involved in no inpenetrable mysteries ; they 
 require no self-inflicted tortures ; they demand 
 no impossible achievements. They disown 
 the pomp and tediousness of ceremony ; they 
 need not the flimsy decorations with which 
 superstition has invested them. So adapted 
 are they to our circumstances, that they might 
 almost seem to have been the natural result of 
 them ; they find us in poverty, and they bring 
 into our possession durable riches and right- 
 eousness ; they find us in helplessness, and they 
 lead us to omnipotence for strength ; they find 
 us in darkness, and through their medium 
 divine light shines into our hearts, and guides 
 our feet into the way of peace. By the obser- 
 vance of these means we not only gain access 
 to God, but perpetuate our communion with 
 him; by them we give expression to our wants, 
 and obtain the fulfilment of his promises ; they 
 are the channels by which he supplies us with 
 spiritual nourishment, and by which he com- 
 municates those gifts which we are commanded 
 earnestly to covet and diligently to seek. 
 
 Valuable as the means of grace are, it must 
 be remembered that they are valuable only as 
 means. They are not the efficient, they are 
 only the instrumental, causes of our spiritual 
 improvement. Of themselves they possess no 
 efficacy. Their adaptation to our circumstances
 
 58 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 gives them no transforming or purifying power. 
 Unaccompanied by divine influence they are 
 lifeless, unprofitable, and even burdensome. It 
 is true that the observance of them, when 
 prompted by evangelical motives, forms a part 
 of that homage which we owe to God : by such 
 an observance we acknowledge his supremacy, 
 and our state of dependance and obligation. 
 But this must not be allowed to supersede the 
 ordinary duties of life : the means of grace are 
 designed not as a substitute for these duties, 
 but to qualify us for the more active, per- 
 formance of them. Religion does not consist 
 in merely going through a course of devotional 
 exercises, but in rendering these exercises sub- 
 servient to our advancement in holiness. The 
 satisfaction we find in them should not result 
 simply from the fact of our having engaged in 
 them, but from the consciousness that they are 
 instrumental in bringing us nearer to God, in 
 discovering to us more clearly our own in- 
 sufficiency, and in causing us to rely more 
 entirely upon Christ for every spiritual blessing. 
 While in obedience to the divine command, 
 we wait upon God in his ordinances, we must 
 not repose our confidence in them. Our con- 
 fidence must be in Christ ; our comfort must 
 be derived from him. But such is the deceit- 
 fulness of the heart, and such are the devices 
 of Satan, that there is danger lest religious 
 duties should usurp that place in our minds 
 which ought to be exclusively occupied by the 
 Son of God as our only and all-sufficient Saviour.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 59 
 
 The means of grace consist, in part, of those 
 exercises which are most properly attended to in 
 the seclusion of the closet ; and, in part, of those 
 which can only be observed when Christians are 
 congregated together. The duty to which I shall 
 first direct your attention is, however, not con- 
 fined either to time or to place, but is always 
 necessary and always practicable. Such are 
 the characteristics of Christian WATCHFULNESS. 
 This duty consists of a habit of circumspection 
 and self-observance : it includes an unremitting 
 attention to the operations of our own minds 
 with a special reference to our spiritual interests. 
 It is the legitimate result of impressions which 
 divine truth makes upon the heart : when those 
 impressions are powerful and permanent, they 
 originate desires and motives which necessarily 
 stimulate to the exercise of watchfulness. 
 
 The obligations to watchfulness are grounded 
 on the infinite value of the soul ; on our account- 
 ability to God ; and on the dangers to which we 
 are exposed from natural corruption, from the 
 influence of the world, and from the temptations 
 of the wicked one. If we possessed an earthly 
 treasure, the preservation of which we deemed 
 essential to our happiness, but which was liable 
 to deteriorate by neglect, or to be taken from us 
 by perfidy or by violence, how anxious should 
 we feel for its safety! how assiduous in its pro- 
 tection ! and as dangers multiplied, how in- 
 genious and energetic should we be in devising 
 the means of security ! The Christian who 
 properly estimates his heavenly treasure, and
 
 60 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 who is aware of the evils to which it is exposed, 
 will be continually on the alert ; anxiously will 
 he guard his soul against the dangers with 
 which it may be threatened ; incessantly will 
 he labour not only to keep possession of the 
 peace and purity which he has obtained, but to 
 render them more perfect and more abundant. 
 Not only will he strenuously resist his spiritual 
 enemies when he feels the fierceness of their 
 opposition, but he will be so observant of events, 
 and so deliberate in his movements, that he 
 will prevent numerous temptations from over- 
 taking him, and thereby frequently save himself 
 from the struggles and disadvantages of the 
 conflict. 
 
 The objects of watchfulness comprise what- 
 ever is calculated to affect our experience and 
 character as the followers of Christ. In this 
 exercise our attention should be directed to our 
 words and to our actions. When we endeavour 
 so to order our conduct as to maintain uniform 
 consistency ; when we are habitually mindful 
 of the probable tendency of what we say 
 and of what we do ; when we speak and act 
 as in the presence and in the fear of God, 
 then we are watchful. When we are strictly 
 observant of the motives by which we are 
 actuated ; when we accustom ourselves impar- 
 tially to weigh the reasons of our conduct ; when 
 we refuse to be governed by mere impulse and 
 selfishness; when we reject those considera- 
 tions which God has condemned ; and when we 
 adopt only such as he will approve, then we
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 61 
 
 are watchful. When we are acutely sensitive to 
 the first risings of angry and resentful tempers ; 
 when our consciences are tenderly alive to the 
 necessity of suppressing such feelings ; when we 
 act in accordance with our convictions, and 
 labour to cultivate meekness, forbearance, gen- 
 tleness, and love, then we are watchful. When 
 from the consciousness we have that our 
 thoughts are apt to revel in scenes of ideal 
 happiness, and to dwell on frivolous and 
 forbidden objects, we feel the necessity of 
 restraining them ; and when, under the influence 
 of this impression, we promptly expel all vain 
 and foolish thoughts, and encourage and retain 
 only those which are either proper and useful, 
 or edifying and holy, then we are watchful. 
 When we endeavour to ascertain the weak- 
 nesses peculiar to our own character ; when we 
 strive to correct them, and to prevent their 
 development, then we are watchful. When we 
 observe the effect which different circumstances 
 have upon us ; when we discover and also 
 remember that, in particular situations, and 
 in the company of particular individuals, we are 
 exposed to temptation, and that our spiritual 
 interests sustain injury ; and when we carefully 
 avoid such associations, or, if unavoidable, we 
 fortify our minds against their dangerous in- 
 fluence, then we are watchful. When from the 
 experience we have of the fiery darts of the 
 wicked one, from a perception of the arduous- 
 ness of our duties, and from a sense of our 
 utter helplessness, we habitually look to Jesus,
 
 62 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 for the grace that is all-sufficient, then are we 
 truly watchful. 
 
 Need I adduce any further considerations, 
 with the view of urging you to the performance 
 of this essential duty? Remember, it is en- 
 forced by the most solemn sanctions. Christ 
 himself has commanded it ; your own circum- 
 stances require it ; and every thing that is awful 
 in your responsibility as a Christian demands 
 your time, and your energies, for this great 
 work. Contemplate for a moment the ad- 
 vantages that will result from a habit of watch- 
 fulness. Your mind will be kept free from 
 corroding anxiety, and from tumultuous passion. 
 Your conscience will not be burdened by self- 
 condemnation, nor will your heart be polluted 
 by the prevalence of evil thoughts and tempers. 
 You will have a quick discernment of sin, and 
 as keen a perception of its deformity. Promptly 
 will you repel its encroachments, and suc- 
 cessfully will you resist its assaults. The 
 temptations which sin and Satan may lay before 
 you will be lessened in number, and weakened 
 in power. The sedateness and self-possession, 
 which are essential to watchfulness, will prepare 
 you for those conflicts which are unavoidable ; 
 while the sensibility and foresight which watch- 
 fulness imparts will enable you to escape many 
 a snare in which you would otherwise be 
 involved. If you are constantly watchful, you 
 will constantly preserve a devotional spirit : 
 this will give you an increasing relish for closet 
 duties, and will render those duties always
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 63 
 
 delightful, and always profitable. You will by 
 watchfulness be made alive to your manifold 
 obligations, and be led to the performance of 
 every duty in its proper season. You will go 
 on in a course of improvement, and exhibit a 
 stability of character, by which you will benefit 
 the church, and glorify God. Affliction shall 
 not overwhelm you; death shall not alarm you. 
 You will acquire that confidence and peace 
 which will not abandon you, when the chastise- 
 ments of your heavenly Father are upon you, 
 and in the possession of which you will be 
 undismayed by the last summons, however 
 suddenly it may arrive. 
 
 > Consider, on the other hand, the certain con- 
 sequences of unwatchfulness. You may keep up 
 a profession of religion ; but whether it will be 
 any thing more than a profession, your own 
 experience will most truly testify. Most as- 
 suredly you will never attain to spiritual- 
 mindedness, nor will you realize the enjoyment 
 of spiritual privileges. You will be a cold- 
 hearted, worldly-minded, barren professor. 
 You will dishonour the gospel by the levity 
 of your deportment, the rashness of your 
 expressions, and the petulance of your temper. 
 Your conscience will lose its tenderness, and 
 your heart its purity. Your temptations will 
 be multiplied, and their strength redoubled. 
 Satan will find in you an easy victim : he will 
 either betray you into open apostacy, or by 
 transforming himself into an angel of light, 
 beguile you by some fatal delusion, and con-
 
 64 ADMONITORV COUNSELS. 
 
 duct you to your ruin. In short, unless you 
 are watchful, you cannot be saved. If watch- 
 fulness be, as it certainly is, necessary to retain 
 the blessings of salvation, it follows that he who 
 is unwatchful must lose those blessings. It is 
 needless to add, that the ultimate consequence 
 of losing the blessings of salvation, must be 
 an exclusion from heaven, a consignment to 
 hell. 
 
 O then, whatever sacrifices it may cost, be 
 watchful. Your comfort, your consistency, 
 your advancement in piety, your salvation, 
 depend on the proper performance of this duty. 
 But in order to the faithful discharge of it, 
 what self-denial, what determination, what 
 strength of principle, what constancy of effort 
 are requisite ! And who is sufficient for these 
 things? To struggle against nature, to over- 
 come the world's influence, and effectually to 
 resist temptation, how unremitting, how arduous 
 the conflict ! but how necessary the conquest ! 
 Let not the consciousness of your weakness 
 discourage you, neither let the magnitude of 
 your difficulties appal you. Your sufficiency 
 is of God. There is an Agent who can and 
 who will produce those impressions, implant 
 those motives, and impart that strength which 
 will prompt you to unceasing watchfulness. 
 Implore his aid: depend on his power. In- 
 vigorated by his influence, difficulties will 
 vanish, and needless anxieties will depart. 
 Let your thoughts dwell frequently and deeply 
 on the worth of your soul, the sufferings of
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 65 
 
 Christ, your responsibility to God, and the 
 realities of eternity. A heartfelt conviction of 
 these solemn truths will stimulate and direct 
 you ; they will excite a godly jealousy over 
 yourself, and a filial fear of offending your 
 heavenly Father ; their influence will constrain 
 you to keep your heart with all diligence ; and 
 thus watching unto prayer, yours will be the 
 delightful privilege of walking humbly and 
 closely with your God. 
 
 Nearly allied to watchfulness is the no less 
 important duty of SELF-EXAMINATION. The 
 former may be regarded as a habit which should 
 be constantly maintained ; the latter as a dis- 
 tinct and deliberate act of the mind, to the per- 
 formance of which a special and suitable season 
 must, be appropriated. In self-examination we 
 recall the feelings, thoughts, and conduct that 
 have occupied a period which has past; we 
 subject them to a judicial investigation, with 
 the view of ascertaining the degree of their con- 
 formity to a certain standard. Self-examination 
 not only takes cognizance of the past ; it also 
 inquires into our present religious impressions, 
 scrutinizes the principles by which we are now 
 actuated, and endeavours to determine what 
 are our present spiritual attainments, and what 
 is the course which we are now pursuing. In 
 this exercise the Christian takes an impartial 
 survey of his own character, and enters into 
 judgment on himself. 
 
 In self-examination, we must refer to the 
 word of God as the only standard by which 
 5
 
 66 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 our inquiries are to be directed, and our deci- 
 sions formed. The precepts of Scripture pre- 
 scribe to us the full extent of Christian duty, 
 and its promises unfold to us the heights and 
 depths of Christian privileges. We must, there- 
 fore, search our hearts and our characters by 
 the light of truth ; and endeavour to ascertain 
 whether we are practising the duties which it 
 requires, and enjoying the privileges it confers. 
 The examples of eminently pious men may 
 stimulate us ; their instructions may materially 
 assist us ; but we must follow them only so far 
 as they have followed Christ. If we compare 
 ourselves with them, it must be with their 
 superior excellences, not with their defects ; 
 if we adopt their rules and maxims to assist 
 us in the business of self-examination, it must 
 be on account of their manifest conformity to 
 the rules and maxims of God's word. This 
 word is infallible, it therefore may safely be 
 trusted ; its authority is divine, it therefore has 
 a rightful claim to our highest regard. If when 
 looking into ourselves we refer to living speci- 
 mens of Christian character, such inferiority of 
 spiritual attainments, such feebleness of religious 
 principle, may force themselves upon our atten- 
 tion, as will generate pride instead of humility, 
 and thus defeat the principal end of self-inspec- 
 tion. But if we refer to the standard of eternal 
 truth, and test ourselves by its statements, we 
 shall not only be directed by an unerring guide, 
 but we shall always discover heights of perfec- 
 tion, toward which we may continually aspire,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 67 
 
 and depths of infinite love which have yet to be 
 sounded, and into which our souls have yet to 
 sink. Moreover, in adopting the Scriptures as 
 our standard in the duty of self-examination, 
 we are furnished with one example, which 
 exhibits moral excellence unmingled with 
 human infirmity, and unalloyed with human 
 corruption ; an example of active obedience, 
 of patient suffering, of meek endurance ; an 
 example consisting of the developments of 
 a mind filled with unbounded benevolence, 
 unsullied purity, the most exalted heavenly 
 affections, and entire devotedness to God. This 
 example we are required to imitate : the same 
 mind must be in us which was in Christ Jesus ; 
 if we wish to fulfil the divine purpose concerning 
 us, we must be conformed to the moral image 
 of the Son of God. In self-examination, there- 
 fore, we must bring into view the prominent 
 features of the Redeemer's character, and com- 
 pare ourselves with them : and if we discover 
 that the likeness we bear to Christ is so faint 
 as to be scarcely perceptible ; yea, if we discover 
 points of contrast in his character and ours ; we 
 must not yield to discouragement, but rouse 
 ourselves to exertion ; we must not turn away 
 in despair from the faultless prototype, but con- 
 template the Saviour's excellences with the 
 eye of faith, so that " beholding as by a mirror 
 the glory of the Lord, we may be transformed 
 into the same image, from glory to glory, by 
 the Spirit of the Lord." 
 
 The process of self-examination should be
 
 68 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 conducted with the strictest fidelity. It is diffi- 
 cult, generally speaking, for the mind distinctly 
 to recall, and closely to survey, its own opera- 
 tions. It is easier for us to mark the peculiarities 
 of others, than to scrutinize our own. The pride 
 and deceitfulness of the heart cause us to shrink 
 from the discovery of our imperfections, and 
 would induce us to impose upon ourselves in 
 matters that involve our everlasting destiny. 
 Thus the duty of self-examination is frequently 
 performed in a careless and superficial manner. 
 A few general inquiries are proposed, to which 
 indefinite answers are given ; or, if the truth 
 should force itself upon the conscience, its ad- 
 monitions lose their effect, by the adoption of 
 some presumptuous hope, or by fleeing to some 
 false ground of consolation. If, then, you 
 would avoid the guilt of hypocrisy, on the one 
 hand, or the consequences of a criminal self- 
 deception, on the other, be faithful to yourself 
 and to God in the exercise of self-examination. 
 Let your inquiries be close, searching, and 
 severe. Spare not your own feelings, neither 
 show mercy even to the infirmities of your 
 nature. Be determined that no secret sin 
 shall escape your notice. Penetrate into the 
 inmost recesses of your heart, trace its 
 windings and its wanderings, ascertain its 
 most hidden springs of action ; be resolved to 
 exterminate from it the least remnant of 
 corruption ; and test all its movements, its 
 thoughts, its tempers, and its affections, by 
 that rule which both requires and promises
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 69 
 
 the entire sanctification of them that be- 
 lieve. 
 
 This duty should be attended to with fre- 
 quency and regularity. Are there not many 
 religious professors who are verily guilty in this 
 matter ? Is not a total neglect of self-exami- 
 nation chargeable upon multitudes who name 
 the name of Christ ? And is it not to this neglect 
 that we are, partly at least, to attribute the 
 worldiness and lukewarmness with which the 
 church of God is so deeply infected ? While, 
 in the order of means, nothing so powerfully 
 quickens and invigorates as a daily inspection 
 of our spiritual state, nothing so surely causes 
 declension and darkness as the entire or partial 
 omission of this duty. An occasional perform- 
 ance of it, with long intervals of neglect, will 
 not suffice. There must be perseverance. The 
 difficulties of the exercise are increased by this 
 neglect : it requires a fixedness of thought 
 which is to be obtained only by habit. More- 
 over, when it is but slightly or but seldom at- 
 tended to, spiritual influence will be so feeble, 
 as to be hardly discoverable. There will be so 
 much of evil in the character, as to cause dis- 
 tressing perplexity and even bitter remorse. 
 Thus, not only by neglect, but by the conse- 
 quences of neglect, are the difficulties and the 
 painfulness of self-examination augmented. 
 Whereas a frequent and regular performance of 
 it, will not only render it less arduous, but will 
 be one means of overcoming the natural repug- 
 nance of the mind to the exercise. That ad-
 
 70 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 vancement in faith and love and joy, which will 
 be the happy results of frequency and regularity, 
 will also cause a still further decrease of the 
 difficulties you may at first experience. As the 
 blessings and principles of the gospel more fully 
 occupy the heart, they will be more easily dis- 
 cernible ; they will become more boldly promi- 
 nent to the eye of inspection ; a satisfactory 
 conclusion will be more speedily and yet safely 
 formed ; and thus gratitude and joy will take 
 the place of embarrassment and shame. 
 
 In order, therefore, to give a timely check to 
 the insidious encroachments of sin, and to main- 
 tain intimate communion with God, you must 
 make it a point of conscience daily to examine 
 yourself. As the prudent and upright trades- 
 man will subject his affairs to a periodical in- 
 vestigation, in order that he may ascertain the 
 amount of his gains and losses, and adopt means 
 of preserving and increasing the former, and of 
 retrieving the latter ; so the Christian will, at 
 regular and appointed seasons, search into his 
 heart, review his conduct, and thereby ascertain 
 whether he be retrograding or advancing in reli- 
 gion. And he who understands the nature, and 
 is properly alive to the importance, of self-ex- 
 amination, will find that to perform it efficiently, 
 he must devote his attention to it daily ; that to 
 observe it less frequently, is productive of 
 serious disadvantage ; that as it lengthens the 
 retrospect, it taxes the memory beyond what it 
 has power to accomplish, and that consequently 
 many he art- wanderings will be forgotten, and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 71 
 
 many evils remain undetected and unlamented. 
 Be solemnly determined, therefore, to set apart 
 a portion of every day for the purpose of hold- 
 ing close and faithful converse with yourself. 
 
 While your own judgment must guide you 
 in the selection, it may be suggested whether 
 the evening does not generally present the most 
 favourable opportunity for engaging in this so- 
 lemn exercise. When the occupations and cares 
 of the day are over, the mind can more easily 
 collect its ideas, and exercise itself in calm but 
 deep reflection. To recall the incidents of the 
 day, to bring to remembrance the thoughts and 
 feelings with which they have been associated, 
 and impartially to review the motives of our 
 conduct, is, as a part of our evening's employ- 
 ment, not only to be recommended as advanta- 
 geous, but may also be urged as indispensable. 
 If it immediately precede the exercise of prayer, 
 it will furnish matter for enlarged and special 
 supplication, as well as for the expression of 
 ardent thankfulness to God for the temporal 
 and spiritual mercies which he has conferred. 
 
 Those points in your character, respecting 
 which you should examine yourself, depend in 
 some measure on the circumstances in which 
 you are placed : there are nevertheless certain 
 matters which ought always to be made the 
 subjects of rigid investigation. Without wish- 
 ing to dictate, you will probably find that some 
 such questions as the following, solemnly pro- 
 posed, and honestly answered, will afford you 
 some direction and assistance in the performance
 
 72 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 of this essential duty: 1. In what frame of 
 mind did I this morning enter upon the duties 
 and occupations of the day ? Was I fervent, 
 humble, and believing, in private devotion, and 
 did I go forth into the world feeling my help- 
 lessness, and looking up to God for guidance 
 and strength ? 2. What have been my pre- 
 vailing thoughts, desires, and affections, during 
 the day ? Have they been fixed on foolish, 
 forbidden, and sinful objects ; or have they 
 been, as much as possible, directed to those 
 things which make for my everlasting peace ? 
 3. What has, this day, been the prevailing tem- 
 per of my mind ? Have I been in any circum- 
 stances more than usually trying ? Have I main- 
 tained meekness, forbearance, and a readiness 
 to forgive ? Or have I yielded to petulance, 
 resentment, envy, or unkindness ? Have I 
 given unnecessary pain or offence to any human 
 being? 4. Have I been strictly upright and 
 honourable in all my dealings ? Have I been 
 faithful in the discharge of those duties which 
 devolve upon me in the station which I occupy ? 
 5. Have I ordered my words aright before 
 God? Have I spoken falsely, or in any way 
 calculated to convey an impression contrary to 
 the truth ? Have I been guilty of evil-speak- 
 ing? Has my conversation been trifling and 
 unprofitable ; or has it been serious, edifying, and 
 consistent? 6. Have I this day done all in 
 my power to promote the cause of God ? Have 
 I reproved sin ? Have I, when opportunity 
 has served, faithfully, but tenderly, admonished
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 73 
 
 the unconverted ? Have I been called upon 
 this day to assist the cause of God, at home or 
 abroad, either by pecuniary contribution, or by 
 personal exertion ? Have I done what I could ? 
 
 7. Have I throughout this day maintained 
 communion with God ? Have I kept up a 
 sense of his presence, and in all things had a 
 single eye to his glory ? Have I occasionally 
 lifted up my heart to him in ejaculatory prayer 1 
 
 8. Have I this day lived by faith in the Son 
 of God ? Have I this day realized the cleansing 
 and peace-giving efficacy of the Saviour's 
 blood ? Have I regarded him as my Advocate 
 with the Father ; and have I with confidence 
 expected, through his intercession, the bless- 
 ings which he has purchased and promised? 
 
 9. What is my present state and character in 
 a religious point of view ? Am I alive to God ? 
 Do I love him supremely? Do I enjoy an 
 assurance of his favour ? Am I growing in 
 grace ? Have I fervent charity toward all 
 men ? Have I a heart to sympathize with the 
 afflicted, to relieve the wretched, and to love 
 my enemies ? 
 
 There are, I think, but few of the preceding 
 questions which ought not to be pressed upon 
 the conscience at the close of every day. 
 Many of the inquiries will be speedily and 
 satisfactorily answered by those who are spi- 
 ritually-minded and truly devoted to God. 
 While every answer should be given delibe- 
 rately, with the deepest conviction of its in- 
 tegrity, the process of self-examination will be
 
 74 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 longer or shorter, as the mind feels reluctant 
 and perplexed, or ready and decided, in the 
 performance of the duty. 
 
 Events will frequently occur in the private 
 history of the Christian, and also in his family, 
 in the church, and in the world, which, as they 
 may more or less bear on his religious profes- 
 sion, require that he should make them the 
 grounds of distinct and special self-examina- 
 tion. When suffering, either from personal 01 
 from domestic affliction, or from worldly losses 
 and disappointments, inquiry should be made 
 how the chastisement is received, and what 
 effects it produces; whether those effects are 
 manifested by resignation and confidence, or by 
 fretfulness and despondency. In the prospect 
 of any new undertaking, or in the experience 
 of any change of circumstances, we should 
 thoroughly investigate our motives and obliga- 
 tions. When the interests of the church are 
 peculiarly adverse, or when they are unusually 
 prosperous, it behooves us, at least, to endeavour 
 to ascertain whether we have contributed to 
 the one or to the other ; what is our present 
 duty, and what course we are actually pursu- 
 ing. The world, with its startling movements, 
 strange aspects, and fierce conflicts, will suggest 
 to the observant Christian topics not only of 
 serious thought, but of searching self-inquiry. 
 In times like the present the moral influence of 
 every individual is of importance ; and he who 
 wishes to be found faithful will, in reference to 
 passing events, consider whether his religious
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 75 
 
 profession be such as is calculated to promote 
 the purity and stability of the church, as well 
 as to preserve, what ought to be, its obvious 
 distinction from the world. 
 
 The relations which the Christian may sus- 
 tain should not be altogether overlooked. The 
 head of a family will have inquiries to propose 
 which would be inapplicable to a subordinate 
 member of the household. An officer of the 
 church must examine himself as to the fulfil- 
 ment of duties which do not devolve upon a 
 private member. The man of wealth has a 
 stewardship to discharge, which, consequently, 
 requires a kind of scrutiny that would not be 
 suitable for him who has to struggle with the 
 privations of poverty. Every Christian, how- 
 ever humble his station, has certain talents 
 committed to his trust ; and he whose con- 
 science is divinely enlightened, and whose eye 
 is single to the glory of God, will be careful to 
 inform himself of every obligation that belongs 
 to him, nor will there be wanting those reflec- 
 tions on his own conduct, which will tend to 
 enlarge his sense of duty, and prompt him to 
 greater zeal in the service of his Master. 
 
 When self-examination leads to the detection 
 of any sin, either of commission or of omission, 
 the event should not only be made the subject 
 of confession and the cause of humiliation, but 
 should be followed by an immediate application 
 to the blood of Christ, so that the guilt which 
 has been contracted may be at once removed. 
 To allow guilt to remain upon the conscience
 
 76 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 is to strengthen its influence, to deepen its de- 
 filement, and needlessly to retain its condemn- 
 ation. Earnest supplication should also be 
 offered that grace may be given, that for the 
 future you may be enabled to overcome the 
 temptation, or to avoid the evil into which you 
 have fallen. 
 
 When the retrospect of a day's proceedings 
 results in the " testimony of- your conscience, 
 that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have 
 had your conversation in the world," fail not to 
 remember that it is " by the grace of God" 
 that you have maintained a consistent deport- 
 ment. When happy in the faithful discharge 
 of your duty, and joyfully sensible of your 
 advancement in holiness, let the language of 
 your heart be, "Not unto me, O Lord, not 
 unto me, but unto thy name be all the glory, 
 for thy mercy and thy truth's sake." Let not 
 the possession of " a good conscience" become 
 the source of spiritual pride ; neither let it de- 
 generate into self-righteous confidence : with 
 humble gratitude attribute all your attainments 
 in piety to that divine Agent whose prerogative 
 it is to create you anew in Christ Jesus, and to 
 establish, strengthen, and settle you in the 
 duties and privileges of the gospel. 
 
 You may, from what has been said, perceive, 
 to some extent, the advantages of self-exami- 
 nation. It gives a timely disclosure of ap- 
 proaching danger, and early discovers those 
 otherwise imperceptible gradations by which 
 evil habits and tempers regain their ascendency.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 77 
 
 It produces a painful conviction of our weak- 
 ness ; but it compels us to trust in that power 
 which is ever ready to assist us, and which is 
 declared to be in all our extremities " sufficient 
 for us." In short, as it lays before us our 
 peculiarities of character, it is the only means 
 of obtaining that invaluable acquisition, self- 
 knowledge ; destitute of which, the most ex- 
 tensive acquaintance with history, science, and 
 literature, will, in the end, be utterly worth- 
 less. 
 
 By self-examination we obtain more enlarged 
 and Scriptural views of Christian duty : we are 
 brought more fully under the operation of 
 Christian motives ; and are stimulated to seek 
 the constant enjoyment of Christian privileges. 
 It impresses the law of God more deeply on 
 our hearts, and prompts us to a universal obe- 
 dience. While it reveals to us our spiritual 
 poverty, it discloses to us the unsearchable 
 riches of Christ, and causes us to estimate more 
 highly the infinite preciousness of his blood. 
 It enables us to rectify errors in our conduct, 
 before they have become dominant and in- 
 curable ; and by the most heart-stirring con- 
 siderations, it constrains us to live by faith, 
 and to maintain habitual peace and fellowship 
 with God. 
 
 The difficulties with which this duty is en- 
 compassed render the assistance of the Holy 
 Spirit absolutely needful. Without his in- 
 fluence, neither the natural sluggishness of the 
 mind, nor the natural repugnance of the heart
 
 78 ADMONITORV COUNSELS 
 
 to spiritual exercises, can be overcome. He, 
 however, will give energy to your efforts, and 
 fixedness to your thoughts ; he will direct your 
 inquiries, awaken your conscience, bring your 
 works to remembrance, shine into your^ soul, 
 lay open before you the chambers of imagery, 
 and apply, with a quickening and illuminating 
 power, the precepts, warnings, and promises of 
 the word of God. When, therefore, you enter 
 upon this solemn duty, rely on the influence 
 of the Holy Spirit, and fervently supplicate its 
 bestowment. Consider yourself as in the im- 
 mediate presence of the holy and heart-search- 
 ing God ; anticipate a judgment to come ; 
 realize the nearness of eternity, contemplate 
 its fearful alternatives ; and with trembling 
 jealousy over yourself, exclaim, with the Psalm- 
 ist, " Search me, O God, and know my heart : 
 try me, and know my thoughts : and see if 
 there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in 
 the way everlasting."
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 79 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MEANS OF PROMOTING PERSONAL PIETY (CON- 
 TINUED) PRAYER, AND READING THE 
 SCRIPTURES. 
 
 AMONG the religious exercises to which the 
 gospel claims our attention, there are none that 
 possess a more interesting character, none that 
 are invested with a higher importance, than the 
 duty of PRAYER. In watchfulness and self- 
 examination we hold more immediate converse 
 with ourselves ; in prayer we hold converse 
 with God. It is the divinely appointed means 
 by which we gain access to the eternal throne, 
 there to spread out our wants, and to make 
 known our requests to the monarch of the 
 universe. 
 
 The reasons and obligations which bind 
 us to this duty are founded on the nature of 
 man. Man, as it regards even his physical con- 
 dition, is absolutely dependant on a superior 
 power. For the supply of his daily wants he 
 is indebted to the bountiful Giver of all good ; 
 from him he derives his capacities for enjoy- 
 ment, as well as the bodily and mental vigour 
 by which he is enabled to pursue his usual 
 course of occupation. The uncertain tenure of 
 all temporal blessings proves how utterly power- 
 less is the boasted strength of man, when the 
 omnipotent Deity determines either to im- 
 poverish his resources, or to make him the
 
 80 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 subject of calamity and sorrow. What then 
 can be more reasonable than that a being thus 
 helpless should acknowledge the supremacy, 
 and implore the protection of his Creator and 
 Benefactor ? Prayer, we might imagine, would 
 be the natural, the spontaneous language of 
 his heart. 
 
 Man is not only a dependant, but a sinful 
 creature. As a rebel against the divine govern- 
 ment, he is exposed to the threatenings of 
 divine justice ; of himself he is incapable of 
 meeting the demands of this justice ; and it is 
 owing to the forbearance of God that its terrors 
 do not overwhelm him. " It is of the Lord's 
 mercies that he is not consumed." Now, when 
 it is discovered to us that this is actually our 
 condition, when we feel that sin reigns over 
 us in all its power, pollution, and guilt, prayer 
 is the immediate result of such a conviction : 
 we are impelled to it by the stern dictates of 
 necessity. Conscious that we have offended 
 God, we implore his mercy ; sensible of our 
 defilement, we supplicate the renovating in- 
 fluence of his grace ; feeling the spiritual dark- 
 ness with which sin has blinded us, we ask for 
 that divine illumination which alone can lead 
 us in the path of holiness and peace ; in 
 short, oppressed with a sense of our spiritual 
 destitution and wretchedness, we apply to Him 
 who has promised to enrich and gladden our 
 souls with the joys of his salvation. The 
 publican, when he saw the magnitude of his 
 guilt, and the depth of his misery, could ex-
 
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 81 
 
 claim, without any formal course of instruction, 
 " God be merciful to me a sinner." This was 
 the language of prayer. Peter, when terrified 
 with the apprehensions of appalling danger, 
 needed no exhortation to induce him to cry 
 out, " Master, save me, or I perish." This, 
 too, was prayer. 
 
 If the duty of prayer be so obviously suit- 
 able to the sinner conscious of his guilt, it is 
 not less so to the circumstances and exigencies 
 of the children of God. They have conflicts 
 and difficulties, fears and sorrows, which they 
 can unbosom only to their heavenly Father ; 
 to him they have to look for comfort, strength, 
 and guidance ; they have wants which he only 
 can supply ; desires which, having been im- 
 planted by his Spirit, can only be satisfied out 
 of his own infinite fulness. By them, there- 
 fore, prayer is not only acknowledged to be a 
 duty of paramount obligation, but is regarded 
 as an invaluable privilege. Living in a world, 
 the spirit of which is hostile to their religious 
 interests and feelings, and exposed, as they are, 
 to the assaults of the prince of darkness, how 
 could they sustain the pressure of temptation 
 how could they maintain a steadfast adherence 
 to duty, were it not that by pouring out their 
 hearts to God they realize the blessedness of 
 communion with him, and obtain from him the 
 grace which strengthens, and the wisdom which 
 directs them ? When distressed with a sense of 
 unfaithfulness, when mourning over their heart- 
 wanderings, they would sink under their load
 
 82 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 of grief and anxiety, were they not assured 
 that a throne of grace is always accessible ; by 
 applying to which, they may cast their burden 
 on the Lord, and experience a renewed appli- 
 cation of the blood of sprinkling. 
 
 Since the necessity and obligations of prayer 
 arise out of the relation which man bears to his 
 Creator, the efficient performance of the duty 
 will evidently depend on the knowledge we 
 possess of our spiritual state and character. If 
 we are ignorant of ourselves as sinners, if we 
 feel neither hungerings nor thirstings after 
 righteousness, we are destitute of all those 
 motives and impressions, without which all our 
 religious duties will be the loathsome offerings 
 either of hypocrisy or of self-righteousness. 
 The nature of prayer will be easily understood, 
 when, by searching into our hearts, we have 
 discovered the evils and the wants which press 
 upon us; then we shall give fervent expression 
 to the desires which will predominate, desires 
 which will embrace all the promises of God, 
 and which will be satisfied with nothing less 
 than the fulfilment of those promises in their 
 plenitude and power. 
 
 As prayer is the act of addressing the Deity, 
 it is manifestly of supreme importance that the 
 supplicant should possess Scriptural views of 
 the divine perfections. This is an attainment 
 which essentially enters into every act of ra- 
 tional devotion. Indeed, the right knowledge 
 of ourselves as sinners is so intimately con- 
 nected with right views of the attributes and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 83 
 
 government of God, that the one cannot pro- 
 perly exist without the other. " He that 
 cometh unto God must believe that he is, and 
 that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently 
 seek him." Ignorantly to worship an unknown 
 God is to engage in acts of superstition, not 
 of devotion ; to yield up our minds to the delu- 
 sions of false confidence, or to the gloomy and 
 dishonourable suspicions of slavish fear. The 
 self-inflicted penances, and unscriptural invo- 
 cations of the Church of Rome, arise from 
 mistaken views of the character of Jehovah. 
 When we regard him as the infinite Spirit, as 
 the heart-searching God, as the supreme Ma- 
 jesty, maintaining a boundless dominion, up- 
 held by the principles of inflexible justice and 
 eternal rectitude, we shall then feel the ne- 
 cessity of worshipping him in spirit and in 
 truth ; we shall approach such a Being with 
 reverence and with godly fear ; and while 
 presenting our petitions, our minds will be 
 filled with solemn awe, and with deep humilia- 
 tion. 
 
 While vivid impressions of the power and 
 holiness of Jehovah are essential to pure devo- 
 tion, it is not exclusively in the aspect of a 
 Sovereign and of a Judge that the Deity must 
 be contemplated. In the Scriptures his pater- 
 nal relation is exhibited to us in all its love- 
 liness and tenderness. " Like as a father 
 pitieth his children, so does the Lord pity them 
 that fear him." " God is love." " He de- 
 lighteth in mercy." To give encouragement to
 
 84 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 hope, to draw out the affections and the desires 
 in earnest supplication, the thoughts must 
 dwell on the infinite compassion of God as a 
 Father ; and in addressing him we must regard 
 him as our bountiful Benefactor, as our un- 
 changeable Friend. His benefits must be 
 remembered and acknowledged ; and the good- 
 ness which has bestowed them must be the 
 object of our gratitude and praise. We must 
 adopt both the sentiments and the words of the 
 royal Psalmist, who, when recording the faith- 
 fulness and loving-kindness of his God, seems 
 to have had a heart overflowing with feelings 
 of thankfulness, so intense, as to require all 
 the strength and sublimity of language to give 
 them utterance. 
 
 One principal object in the duty of prayer 
 is to realize the presence of this Being, who is 
 so great, so holy, and so good. Unless we 
 feel that God is near to us in all his infinite 
 perfections, we can neither experience the emo- 
 tions, nor perform the duties, of a pure and 
 spiritual worship ; but when in prayer we are 
 deeply impressed with a sense of the divine 
 presence, with what self-abasement, with what 
 earnestness, with what enlargement and confi- 
 dence, shall we offer our petitions and our 
 thanksgivings to him who is the Giver of every 
 good and perfect gift ! O, then, whenever you 
 engage in the duties of the closet, endeavour 
 to form right apprehensions of that great 
 and glorious God, whom you are about 
 to address. Believe that he is intimately,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 85 
 
 though incomprehensibly near. Abstract your 
 thoughts from all that is worldly and trifling ; 
 be composed ; be calm ; be solemn : thus let 
 your soul fall prostrate before the throne, of 
 the infinite Majesty. 
 
 But " wherewith shall I come before the 
 Lord, and bow myself before the most high 
 God ?" Am I warranted in making a direct 
 and immediate application to Jehovah, without 
 the intervention of some friendly Advocate to 
 plead my cause ? These are questions of in- 
 finite importance ; questions which can be 
 solved only by referring to the oracles of 
 eternal truth, Their testimony is that " there 
 is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God 
 and man, the man Christ Jesus." " No man 
 cometh unto the Father but through him." 
 " Through him we have access by one Spirit 
 unto the Father." " He is able to save to the 
 uttermost all that come unto God through him, 
 seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for 
 them." 
 
 From the preceding statements it is evident, 
 that if our applications to the throne of grace 
 are to be successful, they must be presented in 
 the name, and through the mediation, of the 
 Son of God. His sufferings purchased for us 
 every spiritual blessing, and constitute the 
 grounds of every gracious promise. He now 
 pleads those sufierengs on our behalf. Exalted 
 to be a Prince and a Saviour, he " now appears 
 In the presence of God for us," clothed in that 
 glorified humanity, which, in the season of his
 
 8G ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 humiliation, endured the agonies of the cross. 
 Nor has he forgotten the conflicts and the 
 sorrows he experienced in the days of his flesh. 
 " He was in all points tempted like as we are, 
 yet without sin." He is, therefore, able to 
 succour them that ^are tempted. He enters 
 fully into the anxieties and fears of his pray- 
 ing people ; he deeply sympathizes with them 
 in their difficulties and trials ; in all their 
 afflictions he is afflicted. Thus the sympathy 
 of Christ with believers imparts to his interces- 
 sion a peculiar and heart-subduing tenderness, 
 while the infinite efficacy of his atonement 
 invests it with invariable prevalence, and 
 insures its certain success. 
 
 Whenever, therefore, you approach unto God 
 in prayer, bear in remembrance that Christ is 
 your Advocate above, and that every request 
 must be accompanied with an entire dependance 
 on him; in his name, and in his name alone, 
 are you encouraged to draw near to God ; his 
 intercession must have your implicit affiance ; 
 you must believe that he is pleading effectually 
 for you, and that through him your supplications 
 will be accepted. 
 
 Some, who would be wise above what is 
 written, have contended that it is presumptuous 
 to suppose that God will actually grant the 
 petitions we present to him, because the suppo- 
 sition, they say, would involve us in the 
 difficulty of admitting, that the divine proceed- 
 ings and purposes are controlled by the prayers 
 of a weak and sinful creature ; and that the
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 87 
 
 immutability, as well as the omnipotence, of 
 God, render such a result impossible. If, on 
 this question, we listen to the sophistries of a 
 false philosophy, they will leave us in the same 
 darkness in which they find us ; but if we 
 attend to the dictates of common sense, we 
 shall perceive, that as God is not only un- 
 changeable and omnipotent, but infinitely wise, 
 and just, and good, his conduct and purposes 
 toward those who sincerely perform the duties 
 he has enjoined must be essentially different 
 from the course which he adopts toward those 
 who disregard his authority. Moreover, let 
 the impression be received, that for God to 
 answer prayer is inconsistent with his perfec- 
 tions, and the most powerful motives by 
 which we are prompted to the exercise will at 
 once become extinct. It is true that the com- 
 mand of God ought to be sufficient ; but, 
 constituted as we are, we need those consider- 
 ations which are addressed, not to our selfish- 
 ness, but to our self-love, that we may be 
 roused to the requisite exertions. In the pur- 
 suit of any earthly object, nothing is so calcu- 
 lated to stimulate to energy and constancy of 
 effort as the conviction that success is certain, 
 if we properly employ the necessary means. 
 The strongest encouragements to prayer arise 
 from the expectation which the believer has, 
 that the blessings which he seeks will be 
 granted This expectation he is warranted to 
 indulge by the precepts and promises of the 
 gospel. He is even assured that the amount
 
 88 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 of benefit he may receive in answer to prayer 
 will be proportioned to the degree of confidence 
 with which his supplications are presented. 
 Those declarations of Scripture which testify 
 that Jehovah actually fulfils the requests of 
 those who offer up the prayer of faith, are so 
 numerous and so explicit, that it is scarcely need- 
 ful to quote them. The following are worthy 
 of a most serious attention : " Whatsoever ye 
 shall ask the Father in my name, he will give 
 it you." " Ask, and ye shall receive, that your 
 joy may be full." " What things soever ye 
 desire, when ye pray, believe that ye will re- 
 ceive them, and ye shall have them." "All 
 things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, 
 believing, ye shall receive." Here we have 
 promises which most unequivocally affirm, that 
 whatever spiritual blessings we ask in prayer 
 will be conferred upon us ; provided we " ask 
 in faith, nothing doubting." The promises 
 must be believed ; must be relied upon ; must 
 be pleaded ; and their accomplishment expected 
 with the most unwavering confidence : nor 
 must this confidence be grounded on our sin- 
 cerity, earnestness, and constancy in prayer ; 
 but on the mediation of Christ, and on the 
 faithfulness of God. Here we have a founda- 
 tion that is rational, Scriptural, and unmoveable : 
 Christ has died ; Christ intercedes : God is 
 true ; God is love. With these facts before 
 us, we may, according to our spiritual wants 
 and circumstances, appropriate each gracious 
 promise to ourselves, and rejoice in the pleni-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 89 
 
 tude of those blessings which are secured to us 
 by the word and oath of the Eternal. 
 
 " Let not that man" (that doubteth) " think 
 that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." 
 This is the declaration of an inspired apostle. 
 It is not only the expression of divine autho- 
 rity, but of reason and justice. He who 
 believes not the truth of God, dishonours and 
 insults him. Moreover, if our prayers be 
 offered in unbelief, despondency and discou- 
 ragement will paralyze our powers and extin- 
 guish our desires ; there will be neither boldness 
 nor importunity, neither pleading nor wrestling 
 with God. Wearied with unprofitable labour, 
 the excitement which has prompted it will 
 gradually subside ; and the anxiety which has 
 been felt will be displaced by that insensibility 
 which is one fearful peculiarity of the carnal 
 mind : unbelief is the cause of this. If the 
 feelings of devotion have been possessed, 
 unbelief has deadened them ; if the ardour of 
 desire has been excited, unbelief has suppressed 
 it. Approach God with trembling, but not 
 with the trembling that arises from doubts and 
 suspicions of your heavenly Father's willing- 
 ness to sanctify and save you ; approach him 
 with boldness, with the boldness of humble 
 confidence, and of steadfast hope ; the faith 
 that lays hold of his promise he will reward 
 with the choicest of his blessings. 
 
 May this certain anticipation of an answer 
 to prayer extend to temporal as well as spiritual 
 concerns ? This is an interesting and an im-
 
 90 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 portant question. With proper limitations, I 
 should unhesitatingly reply, Yes. I say, with 
 proper limitations. " And this is the confi- 
 dence that we have in him, that if we ask any 
 thing according to his mil, he heareth us." 
 Now, respecting spiritual blessings, we have 
 the most explicit declarations that it is the will 
 of God that we should abound in love and 
 hope, in peace and joy. In praying for these 
 divine attainments, therefore, we may cherish 
 the most undoubting assurance of success. But 
 respecting our temporal condition and prospects, 
 his purposes are not so specifically, nor so 
 explicitly, stated. In general terms, great and 
 precious promises are given to us, in reference 
 to the present life. " Call upon me in the'day 
 of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt 
 glorify me." Let the afflicted believer confi- 
 dently plead this promise in prayer, and the 
 promise will certainly be fulfilled, perhaps by 
 the removal of the burden ; perhaps, as in the 
 case of the apostle, by communicating such a 
 measure of grace as will enable the sufferer to 
 " glory in his infirmities, that the power of Christ 
 may rest upon him." Let us suppose the case 
 of a Christian who is in perplexity as to the 
 course he should pursue, relative to some event 
 which bears closely on his interests and happi- 
 ness, but in which the path of duty and of 
 providence is either veiled in obscurity, or in- 
 volved in doubt. He naturally seeks direction 
 in prayer: it would be folly for him, in his 
 blindness, to set his heart on any particular
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 91 
 
 turn of circumstances, which he may think 
 would operate in his favour. But he may, 
 with certainty, expect the fulfilment of such 
 promises as the following ; and then his path 
 will be both safe, and honourable, and happy : 
 " The steps of a good man are ordered by the 
 Lord." " I will instruct thee and teach thee 
 in the way which thou shalt go ; I will guide 
 thee with mine eye." " All things work together 
 for good to them that love God." 
 
 There is one promise so comprehensive and 
 explicit, that it might be supposed to admit of 
 no restriction, but that it warranted us to exer- 
 cise an assured expectation of our receiving 
 whatever we might request of God, whether 
 it were a temporal or a spiritual blessing : " If 
 ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye 
 shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto 
 you." This declaration, which at first sight 
 appears to give an unlimited license, is, in fact, 
 most closely and securely guarded against the 
 abuse to which, by our selfishness, it might 
 have been perverted. " If 'ye abide in me, and 
 my words abide in you :" here we have the 
 characteristics of those to whom the promise is 
 given. And what will be" the most intense 
 desires of those who abide in Christ, and who 
 have his words abiding in them ? The desire 
 of their hearts will be, " that God in all things 
 may be glorified ;" and that their " wills" may 
 be guided by his will. Their intimate union 
 with Christ, and the indwelling of his words 
 in them, will impart that purity of mind, that
 
 92 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 tenderness of conscience, that supreme love 
 to God, which will render them scrupulously 
 fearful, lest in things that are not revealed, 
 they should encroach on the divine prerogative, 
 or dictate to infinite wisdom, by making 
 requests which would be inconsistent with 
 the designs of God concerning them. Ad- 
 mitting that we have permission to adopt 
 this and other similar promises, in their 
 most unqualified sense, it is nevertheless 
 obvious that we ought to be extremely cau- 
 tious in the use of our liberty. Though we 
 might not ask for any thing that is expressly 
 forbidden in the word of God, yet, unless we 
 were infallible in judgment, and perfect in 
 knowledge, we could not be guilty of greater 
 folly and presumption than to pray uncondi- 
 tionally for those things that are temporal 
 which we might consider essential to our 
 " good." Nor could a greater calamity befall 
 us than to have every such request literally ful- 
 filled. The constant protection, guidance, and 
 blessing of God are most faithfully promised 
 to his people, and may, therefore, be confidently 
 expected ; but in those particular cases and 
 events, in our personal and domestic history, 
 in reference to which the will of God is not 
 specified, a firm trust in his rectitude, and sub- 
 mission to his authority, are at once our interest 
 and our duty. If we sacrifice eur own feelings 
 and our own selfishness, if our only aim be to 
 serve and honour him in all things, we may 
 then safely commit our concerns to his care, and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 93 
 
 repose entire reliance on his wisdom and love. 
 If we leave ourselves in his hands, his wisdom 
 will direct us, his love will overshadow us. 
 
 It is not for the supply of your own wants 
 merely, nor for your own salvation exclusively, 
 that you are to present your petitions to God. 
 The spirit of prayer and the spirit of selfish- 
 ness are utterly incompatible. Having felt 
 your own wretched state as a sinner, you can- 
 not but commiserate the condition of those who 
 are in darkness and in the shadow of death ; 
 and this commiseration will prompt you to inter- 
 cede at the footstool of mercy on behalf of 
 perishing sinners. Pray for the conversion of 
 those around you ; pray that your country 
 may be filled with that righteousness which 
 " exalteth a nation ;" pray that the world 
 may be delivered from the darkening and de- 
 grading influence of error and of sin ; and 
 plead with confidence those divine oracles 
 which predict the universal triumph of truth 
 and holiness. Implore the divine blessing on 
 all evangelical missionaries, and missionary 
 institutions ; on the circulation of the Scrip- 
 tures, and of religious tracts ; on sabbath school 
 instruction ; and, in short, on all the means and 
 agents employed for the propagation of the 
 gospel, both at home and abroad. Pray that 
 every Christian church may be favoured with 
 perpetual purity, peace, and enlargement, and 
 that efficiency may be given to the labours of 
 all the faithful ministers of Christ. 
 
 As a Methodist, you will offer up special
 
 94 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 and fervent supplications on behalf of the 
 ministers, institutions, and various interests 
 of your own religious community. Nor will 
 you fail to make a distinct and affectionate 
 remembrance of the ministers and members of 
 ihe society with which you are connected. 
 
 The natural feelings of your heart, sanctified 
 by religion, will also dictate daily and earnest 
 intercessions for your immediate relatives and 
 intimate friends, more particularly when they 
 are placed in circumstances of anxiety or of 
 suffering. 
 
 While imploring blessings on your fellow- 
 creatures, you will not only be acting in obe- 
 dience to the benevolent injunctions of the 
 gospel, but you will be instrumental in com- 
 municating the richest benefits to those who 
 may be the objects of your sympathy. In 
 praying for the spiritual good of others, you 
 may pray with the conviction that you are heard 
 by Him who would have every human being to 
 bear his image and to partake of his favour. 
 " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous 
 man availeth much." 
 
 Prayer ought to be, and doubtless might be, 
 invariably offered with fervour and freedom ; 
 but, alas ! how often have we to complain of 
 listlessness and languor! How frequently do 
 coldness and distraction darken our minds, and 
 deaden our feelings ! Too often is it the case 
 that we have to take up as a cross that which 
 ought always to be enjoyed as a privilege. Is 
 this necessary ? Certainly not. We are com-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 95 
 
 manded to " pray without ceasing ;" and as a 
 literal obedience to this precept is impracticable, 
 and, therefore, cannot be intended, we may con- 
 clude that one design of it is to assure us of 
 the possibility, as well as to enforce the obliga- 
 tion, of our constantly possessing the spirit of 
 prayer. 
 
 The spirit of prayer consists of the preva- 
 lence of those desires and impressions which 
 at all times render the duty welcome and 
 delightful, and under the influence of which 
 we address God with humble boldness and 
 wrestling earnestness. To maintain these 
 desires and impressions in constant opera- 
 tion, is an object of the utmost importance ; 
 and, indeed, a matter of imperative necessity. 
 I trust that, by attending to the following 
 directions, you will be enabled to prevent the 
 declension of those feelings, without which 
 prayer will be unmeaning verbiage, and 
 every act of devotion an act of lifeless 
 formality. 
 
 Let me, first, advise you to secure adequate 
 opportunities for the exercise of prayer. If, 
 from the pressure of worldly or domestic 
 engagements, or from any other cause, you 
 allow your seasons for retirement to be few 
 and brief, the ardour of desire will be quenched. 
 Nothing is more calculated to extinguish the 
 flame of devotion than a hurried and super- 
 ficial performance of closet duties. Moreover, 
 to enter fully into our wants and circumstances, 
 and to give such utterance to our desires as will
 
 96 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 show that we really value the blessings which 
 we seek, will require TIME : but when a very 
 few hasty moments, and a very few hasty ex- 
 pressions, are made to suffice, there can be no 
 explicit statement of our spiritual necessities ; 
 and when such a practice becomes a fixed 
 habit, it indicates a strange indifference to 
 those great and precious promises which are 
 given to those who, by fervent and enlarged 
 petitions, make known their requests unto 
 God. 
 
 Endeavour, therefore, so to arrange your 
 occupations and engagements as to be able 
 to appropriate a proper portion of time to 
 closet duties. If you can, for this purpose, 
 appoint and observe a fixed hour in the morn- 
 ing and also in the evening, so much the 
 better ; but, if such a regulation is impracti- 
 cable, it is not obligatory. The precise hour 
 is not of so much consequence as the space of 
 time that is occupied in these sacred exercises. 
 How long this space should be must be deter- 
 mined by your own circumstances, and the dic- 
 tates of an enlightened conscience. If you 
 have time fully at your own command, and are 
 really athirst for salvation, you will not deem 
 an hour in the morning and an hour in the 
 evening too much to be devoted to prayer, 
 reading the Scriptures, and self-examination. 
 But how many are there whose restrictions 
 render it almost, if not quite, impossible to 
 employ even one entire hour daily in the ex- 
 ercises of devotion ! Should these difficulties
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 97 
 
 be yours, remember that God is thoroughly 
 acquainted with them ; and whatever may be 
 their nature, if you conscientiously endeavour 
 to surmount them, he will, in due time, make 
 your way plain, by removing those hinderances 
 which now encompass and discourage you ; and 
 if your ^present obstacles should continue, and 
 are not needlessly magnified, nor pleaded as an 
 excuse for sloth and negligence, your heavenly 
 Father will richly compensate you for the self- 
 denial and decision you may have to practise. 
 He does not require impossibilities ; but he 
 demands that which is possible, even if it be 
 at the cost of some personal sacrifice. Only be 
 faithful and you shall in nowise lose your 
 reward. On reflection, you will, perhaps, dis- 
 cover, that if all the time which, previously to 
 your conversion, was squandered in loitering, 
 in the indulgence of vain thoughts, and in 
 frivolous gossip, were now duly appreciated and 
 improved, you would not be destitute of oppor- 
 tunities for private devotion. By also limiting 
 the hours of sleep to what may be strictly 
 necessary for health, as well as by industry in 
 your calling, you will be able to secure some 
 portions of the day, which you may justly call 
 your own, and which, without encroaching on 
 the rights of others, you may consistently 
 and profitably consecrate to communion with 
 yourself, and with your God. 
 
 Let me earnestly recommend you to imitate 
 the examples of David and Daniel, by retiring, 
 not only morning and evening, but at noonday, 
 7
 
 98 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 for the purpose of presenting your supplications 
 to your heavenly Father. If your mid-day 
 retirement be but for ten, or even for five 
 minutes, you will find it to exert a power- 
 fully quickening and refreshing influence ; nor 
 will this influence be the less beneficial to 
 yourself, should your petitions on this occasion 
 consist entirely of intercessions on behalf of 
 others. By thus allotting the subjects of pray- 
 er to their separate and appropriate seasons in 
 the course of each day, you will be freed from 
 the necessity of protracting each exercise to 
 any disproportionate length. 
 
 Cultivate the habit of ejaculatory prayer. 
 This is within the power of every one. At all 
 times it is seasonable, and in all places practi- 
 cable. It need not hinder any lawful employ- 
 ment, nor interfere with any relative duty. It 
 is a mighty weapon against temptation ; and, in 
 the midst of worldly distractions, it recalls the 
 heart from its wanderings, and sweetly soothes 
 its anxieties ; it effectually checks the first 
 encroachments of sin, and raises the soul to 
 uninterrupted intercourse with God. By this 
 simple but ready expedient, you will secure 
 unceasing communications of divine illumina- 
 tion and strength, and be able to preserve that 
 calmness and seriousness of feeling so essen- 
 tial to your religious advancement. Indeed, 
 nothing so surely indicates, nor so power- 
 fully promotes spirituality of mind, as the 
 habit of frequently lifting up the heart to 
 God in short and fervent supplications. Nor
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 99 
 
 can the value of such a habit be too highly 
 appreciated as a means of keeping the heart in 
 a state of constant preparation for the more 
 lengthened exercise of devotion. 
 
 If you would maintain the spirit of prayer, 
 carefully avoid bringing guilt upon your con- 
 science. It is needless to attempt to prove 
 that the shame, darkness, and defilement which 
 accompany a sense of guilt, will produce a 
 lamentable unfitness of mind for drawing near 
 to God. The confidence which he requires in 
 prayer is in such circumstances lost ; and at a 
 time when the necessities of the soul are 
 most urgent, its reluctance to seek their re- 
 moval is almost unconquerable. That you 
 may be exempted from such melancholy 
 results, you must not only abstain from 
 flagrant acts of transgression, but you must 
 perpetually watch against all the infirmities 
 of your nature. Guard especially against vain 
 thoughts, unholy tempers, worldly anxieties, 
 and unprofitable conversation : these are evils 
 which most effectually disincline and dis- 
 qualify the heart for the exercises of devotion. 
 Cultivate a holy tenderness of conscience, 
 which will render you keenly alive to every 
 approach of spiritual danger, as well as 
 susceptible of the feeblest influence of tempta- 
 tion. While you sedulously strive to keep 
 your heart free from the defilement of actual 
 sin, be equally faithful in the discharge of every 
 personal and social obligation. Whenever an 
 opportunity of doing good is favourably pre-
 
 100 ADMONITORV COUNSELS. 
 
 sented, embrace and improve it. Let the 
 means and talents which God has given you 
 be diligently employed in his service. If, from 
 considerations of selfishness or of false shame, 
 you shrink from the performance of plain and 
 imperative duty, the consequence will be a 
 sense of alienation from God, which will divest 
 prayer of its attractions, or which will, more 
 properly speaking, excite within you repug- 
 nance toward an exercise which ought to bo 
 entered upon with earnestness and delight. 
 That you may keep your mind clear of the 
 self-reproaches of guilt, you must be watchful. 
 There is a strong reciprocal influence between 
 watchfulness and prayer. They stimulate and 
 strengthen each other ; nor can the spirit of 
 prayer exist without the habit of watchfulness. 
 They are inseparable. Obey, then, the com- 
 mands of your divine Master. " Watch and 
 pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Do this, 
 and your general frame of mind will be devo- 
 tional, and in your approaches to the throne of 
 grace you will realize the presence and power 
 of Jehovah. 
 
 Despise not any lawful means, however appa- 
 rently insignificant, of overcoming the difficulties 
 you may experience in devotional duties. Dulness 
 and distraction in prayer may sometimes be 
 the result of physical causes. Long continued 
 bodily or mental exertion may so exhaust the 
 spirits, as to incapacitate us for any vigorous 
 effort of a religious nature. Bodily indisposi- 
 tion will, at times, exert an unfavourable in-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 101 
 
 fluence. Drowsiness will also cause a state 
 of stupor and inertness. To prevent this last- 
 mentioned evil, care should be taken not to 
 defer the devotional exercises of the evening, 
 until the frame is so wearied, as to be unequal 
 to the duty. When your difficulties arise from 
 other sources, they may often be removed by 
 praying in an audible voice : this has a power- 
 ful effect in rousing and fixing the attention. 
 When such a practice is inexpedient, try a 
 change of position. Either standing, or pacing 
 to and fro in your apartment, will often enable 
 you to collect and compose your thoughts. In 
 case of sickness, the posture which is most 
 easy to yourself will be most acceptable to 
 God ; but to those who are in a state of health 
 and wakefulness, kneeling is the most seemly 
 attitude in which to address the Deity. While 
 kneeling, it is better to keep the body in an 
 upright position, so that there may be no in- 
 dication of sloth or self-indulgence ; and in 
 order in such exercises to preserve the mind 
 from the influence of external objects, the eyes 
 should be closed. Let it not be imagined that 
 these things are enjoined as matters of invari- 
 able duty : they are simply suggested for con- 
 sideration and trial. Your own experience and 
 judgment must determine the extent of their 
 adoption. 
 
 That you may possess the spirit of prayer, ex- 
 ercise an humble dependance on divine influence. 
 Never forget that the spirit of prayer is the gift 
 of God. It is, nevertheless, an attainment tha 4
 
 102 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 you must diligently seek and cultivate ; bearing 
 in remembrance that the views, desires, and 
 impressions which are essential to its existence, 
 are the result of divine agency. Upon this 
 agency, therefore, you must depend for that 
 illumination which will make you acquainted 
 with your own character, and also With the 
 character of God. Upon this agency you 
 must depend not only for exciting those 
 desires and emotions, the expression of which 
 constitutes the act of supplication, but also 
 for that confidence, humiliation, and fervour, 
 which belong to a truly spiritual worship. 
 When you pray, you must "pray in the Holy 
 Ghost." By resigning yourself to his govern- 
 ment, your thoughts will be under proper 
 restraint ; the flame of devotion will be en- 
 kindled, and its blessedness experienced ; you 
 will be admitted to delightful intercourse with 
 heaven ; God himself will visit you, and the 
 light of his countenance will shine upon you. 
 
 The distraction and deadness in devotion 
 which are so often complained of, frequently 
 arise from the self-sufficiency with which we 
 enter upon the duty. We too often attempt it 
 in our own strength. Nor do we properly re- 
 cognise the fact that the Holy Spirit is present 
 to help our infirmities, to enlighten and invigo- 
 rate our minds. We are not adequately im- 
 pressed with the conviction, that unless he 
 assist us in prayer, we " can do nothing." 
 When, therelore, you are labouring under dark- 
 ness and deadness in your closet exercises,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 103 
 
 remember that while subordinate means of re- 
 moving them are both allowable and obligatory, 
 the only efficient means of being quickened 
 and illuminated, is to rely on the promised 
 agency of the Spirit of God. 
 
 This reliance on the agency of the Spirit is es- 
 pecially needful in those cases of difficulty which 
 arise from satanic influence. The malice and 
 power of Satan are often vigorously employed 
 for the purpose of obstructing our intercourse 
 with God. If the great enemy can indispose 
 our hearts to devotional exercises ; if he can 
 excite a disrelish for them, or prevail upon us 
 to think lightly of them, he has gained an 
 immense, an awful advantage. I doubt not 
 but many of the strange thoughts and impres- 
 sions which sometimes so suddenly and forcibly 
 seize the mind in prayer, are injected by this 
 artful and malignant being. If he can induce 
 a habit of forgetfulness or inattention ; if he can 
 weary out our patience by multiplying our con- 
 flicts ; if he can reconcile us to the formal 
 practice of devotion, without its vitality and 
 power, he has gained his point, and will then 
 gladly allow us to bear the name of Christian, 
 and even to maintain a sanctimonious profession 
 of religion. Having obtained possession of the 
 citadel, he will have no objection to the out- 
 works exhibiting the aspect of peace and secu- 
 rity. That you may repel the "assaults of this 
 evil one, you must be "strengthened with all 
 might by the Spirit in the inner man :" when, 
 in prayer, " the enemy cometh in like a flood,
 
 104 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 the Spirit of the Lord can alone lift up the 
 standard" of victory " against him." 
 
 It will not be improper to remind you, that 
 the assistance of the Spirit in prayer may not 
 always res.ult in fluency of speech. The " in- 
 tercession" which " he makes for the saints," 
 by exciting and directing their minds, may 
 sometimes be productive of " groanings which 
 cannot be uttered." There may be that over- 
 powering sense of the divine majesty, and of 
 our own unworthiness, and that intense longing 
 after spiritual blessings, which can find no 
 adequate expression in the compass of human 
 language ; but prostrate and speechless before 
 God, the heart can ascend to him only in sighs, 
 and groans, and tears. Words cannot reach 
 the depth of its emotions, nor imbody the ful- 
 ness of its feelings. 
 
 How powerful are the inducements, how 
 weighty the obligations, how abundant the en- 
 couragements which constrain us to fervent and 
 believing prayer ! Time would fail, language 
 would fail, in attempting to enumerate its ad- 
 vantages. Viewed simply as an exercise of 
 intellectual and religious discipline, its benefits 
 are incalculable. It requires that fixedness of 
 attention, that concentration of thought, which 
 gives tone and vigour to the mental powers ; 
 and by leading them to the contemplation of 
 spiritual objects, it elevates and enlarges the 
 sphere of intellectual vision ; while the con- 
 stancy which ought to mark our observance of 
 the duty will exert a powerful influence on our
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 105 
 
 general character, by imparting to it decision, 
 ensuring its consistency, and thereby heighten- 
 ing its excellence and value. Moreover, those 
 sentiments and impressions which are essential 
 to prayer, by being frequently brought into 
 operation, acquire the power of established 
 principles, supplanting the evil propensities of 
 the carnal mind, and assuming their rightful 
 ascendency in the heart. Our hatred to sin 
 will necessarily by strengthened by the oft-re- 
 peated remembrance and sorrowful confession 
 of our iniquities before God. The daily per- 
 ception of our manifold wants and dangers, with 
 the consequent acknowledgment of our absolute 
 dependance on divine mercy, will naturally 
 tend to the destruction of our pride, and to 
 sink us in the depths of self-abasement. Our 
 gratitude and love to God will obviously become 
 more intense and more permanent, by often re- 
 calling the unmerited favours conferred upon 
 us, and by often uttering the praises and thanks- 
 givings which our sense of obligation will im- 
 peratively dictate. And how abundantly will 
 our faith be invigorated by our frequently re- 
 posing that sure confidence in the Redeemer 
 and in his promises, which is so essential an 
 element of that prayer which avails with God ! 
 Numerous and valuable as are the beneficial 
 effects immediately resulting from the exercise 
 of prayer, these are not the only nor indeed 
 the most important of its advantages. Prayer 
 not only exerts a highly salutary influence on 
 our minds, but it actually procures the bless-
 
 106 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 ings which we supplicate and need. Nor can 
 the believer ascertain in this world the extent 
 of privileges bestowed upon him in answer to 
 prayer. Eternity alone can unfold to him the 
 calamities, temptations, and sorrows, from 
 which he is now exempted, in consequence of 
 his laying before God the circumstances that 
 perplex, and the heavier trials that threaten 
 him. By his prayerfulness, he ensures his pre- 
 servation from innumerable snares, his rescue 
 from many an unseen danger. Blessings, rich 
 beyond the power of human calculation, are 
 given unto him in fulfilment of those promises 
 which are made to believing prayer. A con- 
 stant increase of light, purity, strength, and 
 peace, an unspeakable joy, a triumphant hope, 
 a closer and yet closer conformity to the divine 
 image, are among the legitimate fruits of prayer. 
 With what certainty will you vanquish Satan ! 
 with what stern and successful defiance will 
 you resist the fascinations of sin ! with what 
 constancy will you proceed to the glory that 
 awaits you, if you continue instant in prayer ! 
 Be faithful then in the performance of this 
 sacred duty. Let no worldly claims hinder, 
 let no difficulties dishearten, let no infernal de- 
 vices beguile you. In spite of every obstacle, 
 unmoved by manifold temptations, under the 
 pressure of affliction, in the midst of multifa- 
 rious engagements, persevere in prayer ; pray 
 without ceasing. Be minute in the statement 
 of your wants. Lay your circumstances fully 
 and distinctly before God. Tell him all your
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 107 
 
 anxieties. Mention your besetting sins. Con- 
 fess your secret faults. Thus unreservedly open 
 your heart to God ; and he will communicate 
 to you the riches of his grace, out of his infinite 
 fulness. Persist in prayer, in fervent believing 
 prayer, and you shall trample upon sin and 
 death, and put to flight the armies of hell ; 
 persist in prayer, and all things shall be yours : 
 if needful, the world shall be yours ; with in- 
 dubitable certainty, heaven with its transcendent 
 glories shall be yours ; Christ, in the magni- 
 tude of his power and of his love, shall be 
 yours, and God shall be all in all. 
 
 I have now to direct your attention to a duty 
 which, to every pious, enlightened, and in- 
 quiring mind, is peculiarly interesting, as well 
 as supremely important. The duty to which I 
 refer is that of SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES. 
 The book which we term "the Bible" is the 
 word of the living God. This book communi- 
 cates all the requisite information respecting our 
 duty and our happiness. It contains a clear 
 and comprehensive announcement of the law of 
 God ; faithfully informs us of our fallen and 
 perishing condition ; reveals to us the method 
 which God has devised for our recovery ; ap- 
 points the means which we are to use for our 
 restoration to the divine favour; warns us of 
 the awful consequences of rejecting the proffer- 
 ed mercy ; and gives promises of present ac- 
 ceptance and future. recompense to every peni- 
 tent believer. It fortels the proceedings of a 
 judgment to come ; describes the horrors of
 
 108 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 hell, and the glories of heaven. How sublime, 
 how momentous, are the truths of God's word ! 
 How powerful are its claims to our serious in- 
 vestigation, to our thankful reception ! 
 
 By this all-sufficient rule of faith and prac- 
 tice your religious opinions must be formed, 
 your religious experience tested, and your 
 whole conduct governed. Through its medium 
 alone can you become savingly acquainted with 
 the character of God, and with the person and 
 offices of Christ. When the Holy Spirit acts 
 upon you, it is by the instrumentality of the 
 truth. When he comforts, enlightens, and 
 sanctifies, it is by the application of truth to the 
 heart. 
 
 An enlarged and experimental acquaintance 
 with the Scriptures is the only effectual pre- 
 servative from error. When persons professing 
 sound principles turn aside from them in or- 
 der to embrace any of the dangerous delusions 
 now prevalent, the defection may almost inva- 
 riably be attributed to a partial and superficial 
 knowledge of the word of God. When the 
 mind is well furnished with the arguments and 
 statements which the sacred oracles supply, it 
 can more speedily detect, and more easily re- 
 fute, those sophistries by which error is at- 
 tempted to be palmed on human credulity. 
 Divine truth possesses a power peculiarly its 
 own. When made the subject of diligent and 
 prayerful investigation, it acquires an authority 
 over the conscience which the lofty pretensions 
 of error cannot dethrone ; and diffuses a light
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 109 
 
 through the understanding which the darkness 
 of error cannot overpower. 
 
 A comprehensive acquaintance with the 
 Scriptures is necessary in order that our hearts 
 may te established in the doctrines of the gos- 
 pel, that our hope may rest on its right founda- 
 tion, and that our peace may flow from its only 
 legitimate source, Christ and him crucified. 
 He who properly studies his Bible is led to see 
 the harmony and beauty of revealed truth ; he 
 perceives that the plan of salvation is admirably 
 adapted to the circumstances of man, and at the 
 same time worthy of the perfections of God ; 
 that while it displays infinite wisdom and 
 benevolence, it secures the rights of insulted 
 justice, and glorifies the immaculate holiness 
 of Deity. Nothing, indeed, can be more obvi- 
 ous than the necessity of a Scriptural know- 
 ledge of the objects of faith, in order that our 
 faith may be rational and steadfast : equally 
 necessary is it that we should be acquainted 
 with the motives that ought to govern, and the 
 excellences that claim, our affections, in order 
 that we may be " rooted and grounded in love." 
 
 If you are anxious faithfully to serve God, 
 you are, of course, anxious to know the duties 
 which constitute that service. These duties 
 are explicitly stated in the Scriptures. If you 
 are desirous of acting toward your fellow-men 
 in accordance with your obligations as a Chris- 
 tian and as a rational being, you must be equally 
 desirous of knowing the extent of those obliga- 
 tions. In the Scriptures they are clearly un-
 
 110 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 folded. You already begin to feel your need 
 of counsel to direct you in cases of difficulty, 
 and to lead you in a safe path during your 
 earthly pilgrimage. In the Bible are the pro- 
 foundest maxims, and the wisest admonitions . 
 here precepts are enforced, and principles are 
 inculcated, which, if acted upen in the ordinary 
 affairs of life, would preserve us from innumer- 
 able dangers, anxieties, and troubles. In short, 
 if you would attain dignity of character, purity 
 of heart, and spirituality of mind, you must 
 study your Bible : these sublime attainments 
 can never be possessed by him who is wilfully 
 ignorant of the oracles of God. 
 
 As in every other private duty, so in this, 
 constancy and regularity are of supreme import- 
 ance. Never allow a day of your existence to 
 pass over, without reading some portion of the 
 word of God. You would never think of 
 abstaining for a whole day from the food which 
 nourishes the body, simply on the plea, that you 
 had not time to partake of it ; yet how many on 
 this plea, and on this only, neglect for days to- 
 gether that word which is the bread of life, the 
 nourishment of the soul ! If this nourishment 
 be but seldom resorted to, there will be, instead 
 of the maturity and fruitfulness of fervent piety, 
 the leanness and barrenness of mere profession. 
 Our memories are so treacherous in reference 
 to religious truths, that in order to their es- 
 tablishment in our hearts, we need line upon 
 line, and precept upon precept. Our good im- 
 pressions are so apt to subside, that it is requi-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. Ill 
 
 site that the word which has produced them 
 should be brought frequently before our minds, 
 that by a repetition of its influence, it may abide 
 with us for ever. The devices of Satan are so 
 numerous, and so calculated to perplex and 
 mislead us, that we need a daily application to 
 the word of God, that being supplied with the 
 sword of the Spirit, and with the shield of faith, 
 we may be competent to resist and to overcome 
 the fiery darts of the wicked one. Consider it, 
 therefore, as imperatively binding upon you to 
 read the Scriptures DAILY. 
 
 The extent of your daily reading of the Scrip- 
 tures must, of course, depend on the time you 
 may be able to spare from other duties ; the 
 performance of some of which is unavoidable, 
 while others are essential to the fulfilment of 
 your Christian course. By reading three chap- 
 ters each day, you will peruse the whole Bible 
 in the space of a year ; and without attaching 
 unnecessary importance to such a practice, I 
 would, if it be within your power, earnestly 
 recommend its adoption. Two chapters might 
 be read in the morning ; one out of the histori- 
 cal books of the Old Testament, and the other 
 out of the New. And in the evening another 
 chapter out of those of the Old Testament, 
 commencing with the book of Job, and termina- 
 ting with Malachi. But if such a plan cannot 
 be pursued without too much restricting the 
 time for prayer and self-exarnination, nor with- 
 out encroaching on those hours which your em- 
 ployers may justly claim from you, you must
 
 112 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 content yourself with reading smaller portions 
 daily. The quantity read is not of so much 
 consequence, as the properly digesting it. If 
 you would profit by the Scriptures, if you would 
 rightly apprehend their meaning, and would 
 have your mind impressed by their statements, 
 you must read deliberately, and not rapidly. 
 As you proceed, you must frequently pause. 
 You must deeply ponder the truths and facts 
 which are laid before you ; you must study 
 their connection, their application to yourself, 
 and their relative importance. Unless, while 
 perusing the Scriptures, you thus endeavour 
 to bring them home to your own conscience, 
 and to make them the food of your own soul, 
 you neither make the use of them which God 
 designs, nor treat them with the reverence 
 which he claims. You must solemnly purpose 
 to perform the duties which they enjoin, 
 earnestly seek the privileges which they 
 promise, and as earnestly pray to be preserved 
 from the evils which they condemn. Such are 
 the exercises of mind which are indispensable 
 to a profitable perusal of the Scriptures. When, 
 therefore, other necessary and lawful engage- 
 ments disable you from reading an entire chap- 
 ter, read part of one ; read slowly and serious- 
 ly. Give to some passages a lengthened at- 
 tention ; peruse them again and again : thus 
 they will be engraved upon your heart. And 
 although you may not, by this method, read the 
 whole Bible in so short a space of time as you 
 may wish, you will realize what will be of in
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 113 
 
 finitely greater value, a more rapid growth in 
 the knowledge of divine things ; a more en- 
 larged acquaintance with the character and will 
 of God. On this duty two points should be 
 kept steadily in view, and should be invariably 
 acted upon : the first is, that the Scriptures be 
 daily read ; and the second is, that they be read 
 deliberately. 
 
 In the performance of this duty, adopt such 
 methods, and avail yourself of such helps, as 
 will lead you to a right understanding of the 
 sacred text. The Bible presents its apparent 
 contradictions : they are, however, only appa- 
 rent, and may be perfectly reconciled. The 
 Bible contains difficult passages ; but the most 
 important of these difficulties can be satisfac- 
 torily explained. Written in remote ages, at 
 different periods, and in distant countries, it is 
 not surprising that the Scriptures contain some 
 " things hard to be understood." It would, in- 
 deed, have been most surprising, if this had not 
 been the case. If all its allusions and all its 
 phraseology had been familiar to us, such a 
 fact would have belied its own pretensions ; it 
 would have proved that it was not written by 
 the men to whom it is attributed, but by per- 
 sons living in the scenes that actually surround 
 us, well acquainted with the existing forms and 
 customs of society, influenced by the same 
 habits of thought, and naturally adopting the 
 same modes of expression. 
 
 There is one peculiarity in the Bible, which 
 if it do not prove its divine authenticity, is a 
 8
 
 114 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 strong recommendation of its claims, that upon 
 those points which relate to our duty and our 
 salvation, its language is as plain as language 
 can be. If, when declaring the law of God, or 
 when unfolding the scheme of redemption, the 
 sacred writers had made it their incessant, ex- 
 clusive, and most laborious effort, to express 
 themselves in a style of perfect simplicity, I do 
 not see how they could possibly have invented 
 terms more clear, more definite-, and more in- 
 telligible than the terms actually adopted. Pre- 
 judice, pride, or carelessness will twist and 
 torture the plainest passages, and mutilate or 
 destroy the most self-evident propositions. But 
 no one who reads the Bible with the reverence 
 which its lofty pretensions demand, and which 
 it ought to receive until their falsehood can be 
 proved ; no one who reads the Bible with the 
 attention, candour, and seriousness which even 
 common sense dictates, can possibly fail to as- 
 certain its meaning on those subjects in which 
 our everlasting interests are involved. 
 
 The difficulties which the word of God con- 
 tains, so far from being objectionable, are the 
 reverse. They have brought into existence the 
 most vigorous exertions of the mightiest intel- 
 lects ; they have prompted to the acquisition of 
 immense stores of learning ; they have caused 
 the sacred text to pass through the severest 
 ordeals of criticism, and subjected its claims to 
 the most rigid scrutiny. And it may be unde- 
 niably affirmed, that the greatest amount of in- 
 telligence and of mental energy prevails in
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 115 
 
 those communities where the Bible is most 
 generally circulated, and its contents most di- 
 ligently studied. 
 
 Let me, therefore, exhort you, not only to 
 read, but to study, the sacred volume. It pre- 
 sents to you an inexhaustible mine of spiritual 
 wealth, but which you must penetrate and ex- 
 plore, in order to enrich yourself with the trea- 
 sures which it contains. Its historical facts, 
 its biographical sketches, its precepts of duty, 
 its statements of doctrine, its predictions, its 
 promises, its threatenings, its disclosures of the 
 judgment-day, and of the scenes of eternity, all 
 lay before you topics of thrilling interest, and 
 of supreme importance ; topics which demand 
 the most industrious investigation ; and which, 
 by their enlightening and hallowing influence, 
 amply compensate for all the toil and patience 
 which you may devote to a volume bearing cre- 
 dentials so extraordinary and so divine. 
 
 To all who have the opportunity, I would 
 most earnestly recommend the study of the 
 Scriptures in their original languages : through 
 their' medium, a flood of light is poured upon 
 many passages, the fulness and beauty of which 
 can be but imperfectly conveyed by any trans- 
 lation, however literal. Should your circum- 
 stances render the acquisition of Greek and 
 Hebrew impracticable, I would, if your pecu- 
 niary means will admit, urge you to purchase 
 Home's " Introduction to the Study of the Scrip- 
 tures." This work is a rich storehouse of Bib- 
 lical knowledge. A careful perusal of its pages,
 
 116 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 and a frequent reference to them,would furnish in- 
 valuable assistance toward a right understanding 
 of the Scriptures. It imbodies, in a condensed 
 form, almost all the information and directions on 
 the subject, needful for the general reader; and 
 is a book which no Christian should be without, 
 who can afford to purchase it. For the accom- 
 modation of those whose means are limited, Mr. 
 Home has published an abridgment, which may 
 be had at a comparatively low price.* 
 
 In purchasing a Bible, be sure to select one 
 which has the marginal references. These, 
 though, I fear, often disregarded, have an incal- 
 culable value. If you can avail yourself of 
 no other assistance, this of itself will frequently 
 be found sufficient. If you will fairly try the 
 experiment, you will be surprised, as well as 
 delighted, with the discoveries you will make 
 of the meaning of God's word, by the adoption 
 of this simple and easy method. For instance, 
 as you are reading a Bible of the kind here 
 recommended, you come to a passage which 
 you cannot understand ; you read the verses 
 which immediately precede and follow it, but 
 the difficulty is not removed : you observe, 
 however, that between the lines of this obscure 
 portion small letters are inserted ; you find 
 these same letters in the margin, and that they 
 point you to chapters and verses, either in the 
 same book or in other books of the sacred 
 volume ; you look out these chapters and verses, 
 
 * This abridgment may be obtained at the Book Room, 
 price 81.00.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 117 
 
 they again refer you to others, and, if neces- 
 sary, you find them ; but it will generally be 
 the case, that by the time you have read the 
 first references, the difficult passage will have 
 lost its obscurity, and be so clearly opened to 
 you, as to become both intelligible and instruc- 
 tive. The adoption of the same practice, with 
 passages that are easy to be understood, will 
 show you how fully one part of Scripture is 
 confirmed by another. By thus comparing 
 spiritual things with spiritual, you will see that 
 the Bible is often the best interpreter of itself. 
 
 You will not find it an unprofitable exercise, 
 if, in addition to your daily allotted portion, 
 you occasionally read an entire book at once. 
 By adopting this method, you will more clearly 
 perceive the connection and design of what you 
 read : you will find this especially to be the 
 case in reading the Epistles ; nor will it lessen, 
 but rather heighten, the interest of the histori- 
 cal books. And this is unquestionably the best 
 mode of reading those parts of the Pentateuch 
 which prescribe the erection of the tabernacle, 
 and the ceremonial observances of the Jewish 
 religion. 
 
 Let your perusal of the Scriptures be con- 
 tinually prompted and governed by an ardent 
 love of truth ; by a supreme desire to know, 
 and to do, the will of God. Purity of motive 
 is in all things essential ; but particularly so in 
 studying the Bible. If every Biblical student 
 had possessed this qualification, the world 
 would never have been cursed with those cor-
 
 118 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 rupted forms of Christianity by which multi- 
 tudes are infatuated and enslaved. Do not 
 allow your mind to be absorbed in the investi- 
 gation of curious and unprofitable questions ; 
 but let your aim be to acquire a saving know- 
 ledge of the gospel. Let it be your purpose to 
 " receive the truth IN THE LOVE OF IT ;" not as 
 a subject of mere speculation, nor as furnishing 
 matter for successful controversy ; but as un- 
 folding the foundation of hope, and the medium 
 of access to God ; as directing you in the path 
 of duty, and as leading you to happiness and 
 heaven. While reading the Scriptures, there- 
 fore, consider the infinite importance of rightly 
 apprehending the doctrines which they reveal ; 
 and be determined, that neither prejudice, nor 
 pride, nor indifference, nor unbelief, shall stand 
 in the way of a cordial and thankful reception 
 of " the truth as it is in Jesus." 
 
 As a moral and responsible agent, it is not 
 only your privilege, but your duty, to exercise 
 your own judgment in your study of the sacred 
 oracles. Whatever they may clearly announce, 
 you are bound to believe : in this respect, the 
 best exercise of human judgment is implicit 
 submission to the authority of God. But your 
 convictions must be formed independently of 
 human authority. You must think for yourself. 
 You are not to adopt an opinion simply because 
 it has been advocated by a particular individual 
 or party ; you are to adopt it because God has 
 revealed it. 
 
 While exercising the unquestionable right of
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 119 
 
 private judgment, guard against the opposite ex- 
 treme, of treating the decisions of others with 
 contempt. Deference is undoubtedly due to 
 those who to extensive learning and fervent 
 piety have united patient labour and strict im- 
 partiality in studying and explaining the word 
 of God. And when we are constrained to dif- 
 fer from those whose capabilities and advanta- 
 ges were vastly superior to ours, and while we 
 maintain our own views conscientiously and 
 firmly, it behooves us to express them, at least, 
 with modesty ; and while we feel certain that 
 the wisest and holiest of men may err, it be- 
 hooves us not to forget, that we also are fallible 
 The weakness and fallibility of our own 
 judgments, even in their most vigorous and 
 deliberate efforts, evince the necessity of earn- 
 est prayer for divine illumination. The human 
 heart has naturally a strong repugnance to 
 divine truth ; for " the carnal mind is enmity 
 against God, and is not subject to the law of 
 God, neither indeed can be." Nothing but the 
 agency of the Holy Ghost can conquer this op- 
 position to the humbling doctrines of the gos- 
 pel. And how many are there of those who in. 
 the course of professional duty frequently read 
 the Scriptures, to whom the Bible is a sealed 
 book v a dead letter ! How many are the facts 
 which verify the apostle's statement, that " the 
 natural man receiveth not the things of the 
 Spirit of God ; neither can he know them, be- 
 cause they are spiritually discerned ; they are 
 foolishness unto him !" While you are reading
 
 120 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 the sacred page, beseech God to open the eyes 
 of your understanding, that you may " behold 
 wondrous things out of his law." Our Lord 
 promised that the Comforter, whom he would 
 send, should " guide his people into all truth," 
 and that he should " take of the things of Christ 
 and show them unto us." Recognise the Holy 
 Spirit as your instructer. Rely on his gracious 
 influence. Illuminated by him, you shall have 
 freedom of thought, without self-sufficiency ; 
 humility of heart, without intellectual enslave- 
 ment ; and enlargement of mind, without the 
 visions and freaks of an undisciplined imagina- 
 tion. This divine Agent will remove darkness, 
 and destroy unbelief; he will apply the truth 
 to your conscience, give you a perception of 
 its beauty, and a full experience of its power. 
 Implore, then, the gift of the Holy Spirit, that 
 by his gracious energy your mind may be in- 
 vigorated and directed in its efforts to obtain a 
 saving acquaintance with the word of God. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ON THE SOCIAL MEANS OF GRACE, PUBLIC WOR- 
 SHIP AND THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 
 IT might seem unnecessary to urge a regular 
 attendance on the PUBLIC WORSHIP of God. 
 The desires, wants, and difficulties, common to 
 every Christian, might be supposed to furnish
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 121 
 
 reasons and impulses sufficiently powerful to 
 ensure an eager and constant observance of 
 this duty. There is, however, too much rea- 
 son to fear that some professing Christians are, 
 in this matter, governed more by considera- 
 tions of convenience, than by those of duty. 
 Obstacles are frequently yielded to, which 
 might be prevented by a little foresight, or 
 which might be surmounted by a moderate 
 share of self-denial and decision. Undoubt- 
 edly there are some, and in every large society, 
 I might say, many, whose circumstances and 
 obligations render their regular attendance on 
 public worship absolutely impossible. Those 
 who are thus situated will, if they feel rightly, 
 regard their unavoidable absence from the 
 house of God as the loss of a privilege, as a 
 painful sacrifice ; no other engagements will, 
 for the time being, be viewed as objects of 
 preference, but as occasions of submission, as 
 calling for the exercise of patient acquiescence 
 in what is felt to be a real and unwelcome pri- 
 vation. 
 
 Those who have the sabbath entirely at their 
 own disposal, experience but few, if any, of 
 these difficulties, except when visited by per- 
 sonal or domestic affliction. Their course is 
 consequently plain : they can neither be too 
 thankful for their advantages, nor too diligent 
 in the improvement of them. Should they allow 
 either caprice, or self-indulgence, or indiffer- 
 ence, or the unfavourable state of the weather, 
 to prevent them from hearing the gospel in their
 
 122 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 own chapel, when the opportunity is presented, 
 their absence can be regarded as nothing less 
 than an act of wilful and criminal neglect : a 
 neglect which indicates a lamentably low state 
 of religious feeling, as well as a feeble sense 
 of religious obligation. 
 
 Let me exhort you to repel those false 
 reasonings and excuses which would induce 
 you to undervalue the advantages of social 
 worship, or which would weaken the force of 
 its claims upon you. Let nothing but insur- 
 mountable obstacles, or the imperative dictates 
 of some other duty, prevent your attendance at 
 the sanctuary when the hour of worship arrives. 
 If you are necessarily placed in a situation in 
 which your religious privileges are restricted, 
 you must meekly bear the restriction, trusting 
 in God for its removal, and, in the mean time, 
 eagerly avail yourself of every means of spi- 
 ritual improvement that may be within your 
 reach. Are you bound by the ties of a young 
 but numerous family, and without the assistance 
 which would enable you to resort more fre- 
 quently to the house of God ? You must en- 
 deavour to devise plans and to make arrange- 
 ments by which you may enjoy this great pri- 
 vilege as often as practicable. Where both the 
 heads of a family are members of the society, 
 these arrangements may easily be carried into 
 effect. Where it is necessary that one of the 
 parents should always remain at home, this ne- 
 cessity may be supplied by each alternately ; 
 and thus each will secure equal opportunities
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 123 
 
 of hearing the word of life. I have known 
 men, professing godliness, who have regularly 
 attended the chapel, but whose wives were 
 never to be seen there, the cause of whose ab- 
 sence has been the husband's unwillingness to 
 take any share of domestic duty. Such men 
 must surely believe that women have no souls . 
 whatever their belief may be, their conduct, to 
 say the least of it, is unkind and inconsistent, 
 and involves a responsibility which they would 
 do well to remember. 
 
 Should you engage in the duties of sabbath- 
 school teacher, you will, to some extent, lessen 
 your opportunities of attending public worship. 
 But though this is a sacrifice to which you will 
 consent for the sake of benefiting others, yet it 
 is one which must, in justice to yourself, have 
 its limits ; it must not be allowed to interfere 
 too much with the attention due to the ordi- 
 nances of God's house. 
 
 What I am anxious to impress upon you is 
 this, that you are, as a professing Christian, 
 bound by the most weighty considerations to 
 unite as frequently as possible in the public 
 worship of God ; and that your occasional non- 
 observance of it should result either from tne 
 pressure of circumstances over which you have 
 no control, or from the performance of some 
 other duty the claims of which are indispen- 
 sable. 
 
 If you are actuated by right motives in this 
 matter, you will not needlessly absent yourself 
 from the sabbath forenoon service ; on the con-
 
 124 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 trary, you will appreciate it as the most favour- 
 able time for listening with undistracted atten- 
 tion to the truths of salvation. Neither will 
 you needlessly manifest any partiality or pre- 
 ference in the selection of your minister ; you 
 will not generally absent yourself when Mr. 
 
 is appointed, but be present when his 
 
 colleague is expected ; neither will you follow 
 your favourite from chapel to chapel, in the 
 contiguous parts of the circuit. Such conduct 
 is unbecoming, and may subject you to unplea- 
 sant observations and injurious suspicions : it 
 is censurable ; for it is leaning upon an arm of 
 flesh ; it is looking to man, and not to God, as 
 the source of spiritual improvement ; and is 
 also treating with injustice those of your minis- 
 ters who may feel as anxious to promote your 
 salvation as the one whom you so ardently 
 admire. 
 
 Never absent yourself from your accustomed 
 place of worship merely because a collection 
 has been announced. It is to be regretted that 
 when these occasions arrive, so many should 
 find it inconvenient to attend. A highly re- 
 spectable minister once observed to me, " I am 
 
 always popular at N street, when there 
 
 happens to be a collection a C street ; for 
 
 many of our people on that side will then 
 leave their own chapel, and flock to hear me." 
 Now, to leave a place of worship, merely for 
 the sake of escaping the collection, is highly 
 reprehensible. If all were to act thus, the in- 
 terests of Methodism would be fatally injured ;
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 125 
 
 for it is one of the glories of Methodism, that it 
 subsists without coercion, and that, humanly 
 speaking, it is dependant on the free-will offer- 
 ings of its members and supporters. The 
 practice here referred to, is, in many cases, 
 shamefully mean and dishonourable ; and in all 
 cases unnecessary. Where poverty may be 
 pleaded as the excuse, it should be remembered 
 that, if no more can be afforded, the smallest 
 coin of the realm, given with a cheerful heart, 
 will not be rejected nor unblessed by the great 
 Head of the church ; and if even this cannot be 
 spared, it will be more consistent in itself to 
 allow the plate to pass you, than, from pride or 
 false shame, to absent yourself from the place 
 to which you are accustomed to resort. 
 
 Avoid late attendance. This is a serious evil, 
 the existence of which is deeply to be deplored. 
 It is gratifying to know that there are some 
 congregations comparatively exempt from it ; 
 but there are others where its prevalence is 
 awfully striking. Difficulties will, doubtless, 
 occasionally occur, which may frustrate the best 
 intentions ; but it is impossible to believe that 
 these difficulties can be experienced every sab- 
 bath, by all the individuals and families who 
 are faulty in this particular. The more general 
 cause, it is to be feared, is indolence, or want 
 of arrangement, or forgetfulness of the progress 
 of time. Were this evil viewed in its true as- 
 pect and character, it would neither be tolerated 
 nor practised to its present extent ; and were 
 individual determination and effort strenuously
 
 126 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 directed against it, it would soon disappear. 
 Let me prevail upon you, my dear reader, 
 solemnly to resolve that you will employ your 
 personal exertions and influence in both avoid- 
 ing and preventing a practice so strongly to be 
 deprecated. Some consideration is due to the 
 feelings of your minister : how satisfactory and 
 cheering must it be to him to find, on entering 
 the pulpit, a congregation ready to unite with 
 him in the first exercises of the sanctuary ! on 
 the contrary, how painful and discouraging to 
 witness a large number of vacant sittings, the 
 greater part of which become occupied imme- 
 diately after the first prayer ! Think you that 
 in all this there is nothing calculated to depress 
 the spirits, and to disturb that holy calmness 
 which is so necessary to the efficient discharge 
 of pulpit duties ? Late attendance is also in- 
 consistent with a proper regard to the feelings 
 of the congregation. You cannot enter the 
 chapel after the commencement of a service 
 without occasioning some interruption to others 
 in the performance of their duties. A pious 
 elderly female was once questioned as to the 
 cause of her invariably early attendance at pub- 
 lic worship : her reply was, that " she made it 
 one part of her religion not to disturb the re- 
 ligion of others." This is a reply worthy of 
 remembrance, and which develops a principle 
 worthy of universal adoption. But those con- 
 siderations which ought to have the greatest 
 weight, are such as arise from the attention 
 which is due to your own spiritual interests
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 127 
 
 and from the reverence which you owe to God. 
 By late attendance you not only deprive your- 
 self of the benefit which you might obtain by 
 joining in the first part of the service, but the 
 hurried movements and the agitated feelings 
 thus produced, disqualify you for profitably en- 
 gaging in divine worship. And is it respectful 
 toward God to manifest this irregularity ? If 
 your earthly sovereign were to invite you to an 
 interview to be held at a specified time, you 
 would take care to be punctual to the appoint- 
 ment : your determination to comply strictly 
 with the invitation would be strengthened by 
 the assurance that the interview would result 
 in your decided advantage. The Sovereign of 
 the universe invites you to meet him in his 
 sanctuary, that he may there give you a renew- 
 ed token of his favour, and another foretaste 
 of the glory he is preparing for you : you will 
 surely then abstain from whatever might indi- 
 cate the slightest indifference to benefits so 
 precious ; you will scrupulously avoid what- 
 ever might be construed into disrespect to- 
 ward your heavenly benefactor ; you will anxi- 
 ously guard against the faintest appearance of 
 irreverence toward him ; and by faithfully keep- 
 ing your engagement with him, you will endeav- 
 our to show how highly you appreciate, and 
 how eagerly you embrace, the opportunities of 
 holding communion with him who is King of 
 kings, and Lord of lords. 
 
 Let your attendance on public worship be 
 prompted by an ardent desire to obtain that
 
 128 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 spiritual good which it is intended to be the 
 means of imparting. In waiting upon God in 
 this divinely appointed ordinance, constantly 
 keep the end in view ; namely, your advance- 
 ment in the knowledge and love of Christ, your 
 establishment in the faith and hope of the gos- 
 pel, and your acquirement of larger measures 
 of that grace, in the fruits of which you are to 
 abound more and more. For the accomplish- 
 ment of these ends, the exercises of public 
 worship are admirably adapted. In these ex- 
 ercises how often is the heart that was becom- 
 ing lukewarm and worldly, penetrated with a 
 sense of its ingratitude, and filled with love, and 
 purity, and peace ! how often does the believer, 
 when harassed by temptation, or discouraged 
 by a sense of his unworthiness, here regain that 
 confidence and power which enable him to go 
 on his way rejoicing ! How calculated are the 
 solemnities of the sanctuary to soothe and calm 
 the mind when agitated by anxiety, or when 
 disturbed by earthly cares ! Here we are as- 
 sociated with those who have similar trials to 
 encounter, but who are pressing onward with 
 us to the same glorious immortality. The simi- 
 larity of circumstances and of purpose causes a 
 sympathy of feeling, and forms the bond of af- 
 fectionate union. For those whose interests 
 and whose principles are thus identified to join 
 in the duties of prayer and praise cannot but 
 be sweet, refreshing, and profitable. To listen 
 to the announcements of divine truth, from one 
 of like passions with ourselves, is an arrange-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 129 
 
 ment suited to the wants and weaknesses of our 
 nature ; the voice of affection and of earnest- 
 ness giving utterance to the promises and pre- 
 cepts of the gospel, is calculated to reach the 
 heart, to touch its tenderest feelings, and to 
 awaken the most powerful emotions. An as- 
 sembly of rational beings convened for such ob- 
 jects, and engaged in such exercises, is a scene 
 which Jehovah contemplates with pleasure, 
 which he visits with his cheering presence, and 
 favours with his choicest influence. 
 
 That you may secure the advantages which 
 may be derived from social worship, your mind 
 should be suitably prepared for the duty. To 
 enter upon it with the thoughts either wander- 
 ing at random, or dwelling intently on schemes 
 of worldly policy, will effectually close the 
 heart against those impressions which ought to 
 be received and cherished. Let prayer be 
 previously presented, that God would enable 
 you to worship him in spirit and in truth, that 
 he would give you to see his power and his 
 glory in the sanctuary, and that he would cause 
 his word to accomplish in you the purposes of 
 his holiness and love. Fix your thoughts, as 
 much as possible, on those topics, the consider- 
 ation* of which will promote seriousness of feel- 
 ing, and enkindle the flame of devotiorx As 
 you proceed to the house of God, you may ap- 
 propriately and profitably meditate on the worth 
 of your soul, on the love and sufferings of 
 Christ, on the perfections of God, and on the 
 joys of heaven. Mingle such meditations with 
 9
 
 130 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 intense longings after spiritual blessings, and 
 your mind, filled with hallowed sentiments, 
 will sweetly relish the exercises of social wor- 
 ship ; you will receive with meekness the in- 
 grafted word, and realize its power to sanctify 
 and save. While professedly observing the 
 duties of public worship, let them secure an un- 
 broken and devout attention. This is essential 
 to its beneficial influence. Unless your mind 
 be engaged, the attainment of spiritual good is 
 impossible. Your minister would as success- 
 fully address a vacant sitting as an inattentive 
 occupant. Probably it is in a great measure 
 owing to the want of fixed attention that num- 
 bers who professedly hear the gospel are so 
 imperfectly acquainted with its doctrines, and 
 so feebly impressed with its obligations. By 
 allowing your attention even only occasionally 
 to be drawn off, you may lose the sentiment 
 which would have been most peculiarly appli- 
 cable to your state of feeling, and which would 
 have produced the most powerful effect upon 
 your mind. 
 
 To prevent your thoughts from wandering in 
 public worship, you must make a determined 
 effort to confine them to the duties that lie be- 
 fore you ; nor will success be difficult, if you 
 are alive to the importance of these duties, and 
 feel a deep interest in them. Whatever deeply 
 interests us, easily secures our attention : and 
 if you habitually maintain a spiritual frame of 
 mind ; if your heart be powerfully and con- 
 stantly impressed with divine truth, you will
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 131 
 
 have but little difficulty in attentively listening 
 to it when announced to you by the ministers 
 of Christ. 
 
 In the most devotional state of mind watch- 
 fulness will be necessary ; for without it Satan 
 will inject foolish thoughts, and by causing dis- 
 traction, render the services of the sanctuary 
 useless. When you experience these fanciful 
 suggestions, endeavour immediately to recollect 
 yourself ; consider where you are, and in what 
 you are engaged ; be determined to avoid the 
 guilt of formality and hypocrisy in approaching 
 to God ; and lift up your heart to him for grace 
 to enable you to resist every temptation, either 
 to forget his presence, or to disregard his 
 word. 
 
 Unless you are destitute of a voice, or are 
 utterly incompetent to keep time, join cordially 
 in singing the praises of Jehovah. To remain 
 mute when you have the ability of uniting in 
 this delightful and exhilarating exercise, is 
 neither seemly nor profitable. When this mute 
 practice prevails in a congregation, it indicates 
 a want of devotional feeling : moreover, the 
 sentiments contained in the Methodist Hymn- 
 book are so truly evangelical, that when sung 
 with the spirit and with the understanding they 
 cannot fail to enliven and elevate the soul. 
 
 Closely accompany the minister in the sup- 
 plications that he may address to the divine 
 Majesty. Give your heart's assent when he 
 expresses the language of thankfulness ; and 
 acquiesce with equal sincerity when he utters
 
 132 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 the language of confession. Mark each distinct 
 petition ; make it your own, and testify your 
 adoption of it by a fervent and audible, but not 
 vociferous, Amen. This primitive mode of re- 
 sponding to public prayer, when practised with- 
 in the limits of decency and order, excites a 
 powerful but holy sympathy in the congrega- 
 tion, and has a most encouraging effect on the 
 mind of the minister. 
 
 Cultivate a spirit of candour, and indeed of 
 esteem and affection, toward your spiritual in- 
 structer. When the preacher evinces superior 
 talents, and has the advantage of an attractive 
 and impressive delivery, it is natural that your 
 feelings should be gratified, and that there 
 should be no backwardness in expressing the 
 pleasure and profit you have received ; but 
 when a discourse displays neither profundity 
 of thought, nor brilliancy of imagination, nor 
 eloquence of diction, and when the delivery of 
 it is monotonous or otherwise unpleasant, the 
 exercise of candour and even of attention re- 
 quires an effort, and perhaps a painful effort. 
 In such cases, look not to the manner, but to 
 the matter : if it be not profound, it may be im- 
 portant ; if it be not brilliant, it may be clear ; 
 if it be not eloquent, it may be useful. What- 
 ever defects there may be, either in the com- 
 position or in the delivery, if the preacher faith- 
 fully declare the simple truths of the gospel ; 
 if he manifest sincerity ; if his evident aim be 
 to do good, and not to act a part, he is entitled 
 to your respectful and prayerful attention ; and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. ' 133 
 
 if you thus give him your attention, he will be 
 to you the instrument of good, the messenger of 
 peace and consolation. 
 
 Hear the word in the spirit of prayer. Pray 
 for the minister, that he may be divinely en- 
 lightened and strengthened, and that he maybe 
 the channel of communicating some saving 
 benefit to every individual in the congregation. 
 Pray that his ministrations may be eminently 
 blessed to your own soul ; and as he proceeds, 
 occasionally make the truths uttered the subjects 
 of short but fervent ejaculations. 
 
 Hear the word with self-application : make 
 it the ground-work of a thorough self-examina- 
 tion. This is an indispensable duty. When 
 a discourse is no sooner concluded than it is 
 dismissed from the mind, it cannot possibly be 
 productive of any beneficial effect. Nor should 
 its profitable influence be made to depend either 
 on its superior eloquence, or on its immediate 
 impressiveness. That which may have been 
 heard without any remarkable excitement, may, 
 by after-meditation, be rendered the means of 
 great spiritual benefit. The leading topics of 
 each discourse should be brought to recollec- 
 tion, and should be searchingly applied to the 
 conscience. And if the fidelity of the preacher, 
 seconded by the agency of the Spirit, has either 
 discovered your deficiencies, or convicted you 
 of unfaithfulness, the language of penitential 
 confession should be addressed to the Searcher 
 of hearts, determinations formed of more entire 
 devotedness to his service, and an application
 
 134 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 made to the blood of sprinkling. When a dis- 
 course has been particularly blessed to you, 
 when its effect has been to encourage your 
 obedience, to brighten your hope, and to in- 
 crease your joy, the event should be followed 
 by devout thanksgiving to God, accompanied 
 by special prayer, that he would give per- 
 manency to the impressions which have been 
 produced. 
 
 Never lose sight of the all-important fact, that 
 the agency of the Spirit is absolutely essential 
 to render the preaching of the gospel saving- 
 ly profitable. While you venerate the preacher 
 as an ambassador of Christ, you must expect 
 spiritual good not from him, but through him. 
 View the preacher as an instrument in the 
 hands of God ; view God as the efficient cause, 
 and the bountiful giver of those blessings which 
 his word reveals. He, by his Spirit, applies 
 his truth to the conscience ; and by giving it 
 energy and effect, renders it the means of con- 
 veying light, and purity, and peace. Ever re- 
 member, therefore, that it is to the Holy Spirit 
 that you must look, and upon his influence that 
 you must depend, for the advantages you expect 
 to derive from the faithful preaching of the 
 gospel. 
 
 Let your deportment in public worship be 
 such as becomes the solemnity of the occasion. 
 While you will carefully avoid whatever is 
 formal and affected, you will be equally careful 
 to avoid whatever has the appearance either of 
 levity or of inattention. Shun the irreverent,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 135 
 
 idle, and self-indulgent practice of sitting during 
 prayer, unless you are in that state of bodily 
 debility which requires it. Do not needlessly 
 leave the chapel before the service is con- 
 cluded ; and even then do not rush out with 
 unseemly haste. When mingling with your 
 friends in the chapel-yard, or when walking 
 with them on your return home, abstain from 
 frivolous and worldly converse ; to indulge in 
 which, I need scarcely say, must neutralize the 
 beneficial influence of the service. On such 
 occasions, let the usual friendly greetings and 
 inquiries be interchanged in the spirit of Chris- 
 tian affection ; and let every subsequent remark 
 be such as will tend to deepen the impressions 
 received, and to strengthen the good resolutions 
 which have been formed. Let the first mo- 
 ments of solitude be spent in prayer ; and em- 
 brace the first opportunity of retiring to your 
 closet, that you may there " inwardly digest" 
 that word of life, which, if you receive it in 
 faith, will be to you the word of salvation.* 
 
 There is one social ordinance which, from 
 the circumstances connected with its institution, 
 and the obligations with which it is enforced, 
 has pre-eminent claims, upon your attention. I 
 refer to the ordinance of THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 To the enlightened and spiritually-minded 
 Christian, there is no religious duty so truly 
 welcome as this ; nor one so deeply interesting 
 
 * The excellent tract " On Hearing the Word," by the 
 late Rev. Robert Hall, and published by the Religious. 
 Tract Society, is well worthy of a frequent perusal.
 
 136 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 and impressive. Superstition has surrounded 
 it with a mysteriousness which it was never 
 intended to possess ; veiled in obscurity that 
 which was designed to be a specimen of perfect 
 simplicity ; and given a stern and forbidding as- 
 pect to an institution which its Founder invest- 
 ed with all that is lovely, cheering, and attrac- 
 tive. There are many who, although they are 
 not the dupes of superstition, are not altogether 
 free from at least a remnant of its prejudice, 
 and who therefore shrink with terror from the 
 performance of a duty which they ought to ob- 
 serve with eagerness and joy. 
 
 The dread of " eating and drinking unworth- 
 ily" and of thereby " eating and drinking dam- 
 nation to themselves," is one cause why many, 
 whose piety we have no right to question, ab- 
 sent themselves from this delightful ordinance. 
 If you are influenced by fears of this nature, I 
 must refer you to the chapter (the eleventh of the 
 1st of Corinthians) from which the preceding 
 phraseology is quoted. An attentive perusal of 
 it will convince you that the apostle is reprov- 
 ing the Corinthians for crimes of which you are 
 not likely to be guilty. It is evident they either 
 partook of the Lord's supper as they would of 
 an ordinary meal, and thus shamefully perverted 
 it from its original design ; or that previously 
 to its observance they ate and drank to such 
 excess as to render them awfully unfit for any 
 religious service. In either case they failed 
 " to discern the Lord's body :" they entirely
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 137 
 
 lost sight of the great objects ou which their 
 minds ought to have been fixed ; and neither 
 thought on the sufferings of Christ, nor on the 
 benefits which those sufferings procured. More- 
 over, although the crime of the Corinthians was 
 awfully great, it did not irrevocably seal their 
 " damnation." The word which is thus ren- 
 dered, would be more correctly translated "judg- 
 ment," as it is in the margin. The nature of 
 this judgment is also stated in the succeeding 
 verse, in which the apostle observes, " For this 
 cause many are weak and sickly among you, 
 and a considerable number are dead." For the 
 scandalous excesses of which they were guilty, 
 God visited some of them with bodily affliction, 
 and others with death, as an evidence of his 
 displeasure, and as a means of awakening the 
 church to repentance and reformation. 
 
 That persons may partake of the Lord's sup- 
 per " unworthily," is unquestionable ; that by 
 so doing, they may involve themselves in guilt, 
 which, if not repented of and pardoned, will 
 lead to their eternal ruin, is equally certain. 
 But who are they that are thus criminal ? Not 
 surely the prayerful, sincere, and timid Chris- 
 tian, who is struggling against sin, and who 
 dreads to offend God. No one in this state of 
 mind can " unworthily" partake of the Lord's 
 supper. Those chargeable with this crime are 
 the self-righteous, the worldly-minded, and the 
 hypocritical ; those who, while they profess 
 godliness, are either living in known sin, or
 
 138 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 are sunk into that state of formality which in- 
 dicates an entire destitution of religious feeling 
 and principle. 
 
 Conscious unfitness is sometimes stated as a 
 reason for non-attendance on this ordinance. 
 This plea generally arises from erroneous views 
 of its nature and design. It is not intended 
 exclusively for those who are far advanced in 
 religious experience. It is intended and ad- 
 mirably calculated to invigorate the feeble- 
 minded, to cheer the disconsolate, and to 
 strengthen the confidence of those who are 
 weak in faith. It exhibits before them facts 
 and truths, which, when spiritually discerned, 
 unfold the glories of the Redeemer's character, 
 and the unsearchable riches of his grace. In 
 fixing attention on the love and sufferings of 
 Christ, the believer is led to the fountain of 
 purity and peace, to the source of every spirit- 
 ual blessing. 
 
 Moreover, it should be considered, that those 
 who are in reality unfit to receive the Lord's 
 supper, are unfit for church membership ; the 
 same qualifications being necessary in both 
 cases. And if you are entirely destitute of 
 those qualifications, you are not only unfit 
 to approach the Lord's table, but you are unfit 
 to join in any of those ordinances which are 
 specially designed for the edification of God's 
 people. 
 
 The meetness requisite for the profitable ob- 
 servance of the Lord's supper may be summed 
 up in few words : it is comprised in a sincere
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 139 
 
 and diligent pursuit of salvation. Are the bless- 
 ings of salvation the object of your intense de- 
 sires ? Are you seeking them by fervent and 
 incessant prayer ? Are you convinced that it 
 is only by faith in the atonement that you can 
 be justified 7 Are you as anxious for holiness 
 as you are for pardon ? If you can conscienti- 
 ously answer these questions in the affirmative, 
 be assured of this, that the great Head of the 
 church will not only cordially welcome you to 
 his table, but requires your presence there as 
 frequently as the opportunity is afforded. 
 
 One cause of inattention to this duty is the 
 want of a due sense of its importance. There 
 are many who have none of the scruples to 
 which I have just adverted : they have no par- 
 ticular objection to partake of the Lord's sup- 
 per, providing it will not interfere with some 
 personal or domestic engagements. The truth 
 is, they do not feel their obligations in reference 
 to the ordinance. It is deeply to be regretted 
 that those who yield to this spirit of indifference, 
 do not seriously reflect on that command of the 
 Saviour, " This do in remembrance of me." This 
 injunction is addressed to all his followers : he 
 requires of them a prompt, cheerful, and uni- 
 versal obedience. If circumstances can render 
 one precept more imperative than another, the 
 circumstances under which this precept was 
 announced invest it with the most solemn 
 sanctions, and with the most powerful claims. 
 Except in cases of bodily indisposition, or 
 when prevented by insurmountable obstacles
 
 140 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 we are bound to its observance by every con- 
 sideration of duty and of gratitude. Could no 
 immediate advantage be derived from it, it 
 ought to be sufficient for us that the Saviour has 
 commanded it. If the observance of it be not 
 attended with that visible and powerful excite- 
 ment which some may deem so desirable, it 
 should be remembered, that it may not on this 
 account be the less profitable. In the stillness 
 which accompanies the administration of the 
 Lord's supper there is something peculiarly 
 solemn and affecting : it calms, it elevates the 
 soul, and separates it from all that is earthly. 
 It brings before it the most momentous events, 
 subjects it to the immediate influence of the 
 cross, and enables it to taste of the pure river 
 of the water of life. 
 
 Needlessly to disobey the Saviour's express 
 command, is to treat him with ingratitude and 
 insult. Be not thus guilty of pouring contempt 
 on the authority of Him who laid down his life 
 as a ransom for you. To neglect, from mere 
 indifference, any of the means which he has 
 appointed, is to deprive yourself of the benefit 
 which the proper use of those means would 
 secure. Act not thus injuriously to yourself. 
 To allow considerations of convenience to out- 
 weigh the obligations of duty, is to act unfaith- 
 fully toward Him whom you profess to serve. 
 Do not thus bring yourself into condemnation. 
 
 " This do in remembrance of me." From 
 these words it is evident, that the design of the 
 Lord's supper is to remind us of the love and
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 141 
 
 sufferings of Christ, of the benefits purchased 
 by his death, and of our obligations to him for 
 his infinite condescension and mercy. When 
 attending to this ordinance, our thoughts should 
 be fully directed to the crucifixion of the Son 
 of God, which should be regarded not only as 
 inflicting the most acute bodily tortures, but as 
 being accompanied with an overwhelming agony 
 of mind, caused by the iniquities of all being 
 laid upon him. Having consented to bear the 
 punishment of our sins, the manifestation of 
 his Father's love was withdrawn ; and he ex- 
 perienced, not indeed the remorse which arises 
 from a consciousness of guilt, but the darkness 
 and sorrow, the degradation and abandonment 
 which are the fruits of sin. This was the bit- 
 ter cup which he drank to the very dregs ; this 
 was the atonement which he made to infinite 
 justice, for the crimes of a rebellious world. 
 In observing the Lord's supper these must be 
 the themes of our meditation, and the objects 
 of our faith. We must repose deliberate and 
 unlimited confidence in Christ as our Saviour ; 
 believing that he thus died for us, and that in 
 his blood we have redemption. If we thus 
 meditate and thus believe, while we are receiv- 
 ing the elements, we shall fulfil the design of 
 the institution, we shall " discern the Lord's 
 body." 
 
 It is evident that the contemplation of these 
 facts will tend powerfully to impress our minds 
 with a sense of our obligations to Christ. Our 
 lost and wretched condition as sinners will bo
 
 142 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 brought vividly before us. We shall discover 
 that by the death of Christ we are rescued 
 from the gloom of despair and the depths of hell, 
 and that we are raised to the joys of salvation 
 and the glories of heaven. The emotions of 
 love and gratitude which such considerations 
 will excite, should be cherished, and be allow- 
 ed to fill and to overflow the soul. Under their 
 influence, resolutions should be formed of more 
 entire devotedness to the Redeemer. No occa- 
 sion can be more appropriate, for the renewed 
 dedication of all your powers to his service. 
 Bring to recollection your past sins and your past 
 unfaithfulness ; confess them ; deplore them ; 
 and, with the cross in view, consecrate your- 
 self afresh unto the Lord ; yield your heart to 
 him without reserve ; determine that you will 
 be more watchful, more prayerful, and more 
 holy ; that you will be more strenuous in re- 
 sisting evil, and more zealous in labouring for 
 God. 
 
 When the members of a Christian society are 
 convened together for the purpose of commemo- 
 rating the Saviour's death, they recognise each 
 other as servants of the same Lord, as children 
 of the same Father, and as bound together by 
 the strongest ties of principle and of affection. 
 From the nature of the institution, it is easy in- 
 deed to infer, that should any one resort to it 
 with a mind filled with malice, or burning with 
 envy, or inflamed with resentment, he will un- 
 doubtedly " eat and drink unworthily," and 
 bring himself into condemnation. He who acts
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 143 
 
 thus is neither sincere nor consistent. He is 
 guilty of an awful profanation of the body and 
 blood of Christ. In approaching the Lord's 
 table, personal animosities, secret jealousies, 
 and unkind feelings must be entirely laid aside ; 
 and toward every member of the church must 
 the heart glow with all the tenderness and 
 ardour of Christian love. 
 
 The sincere believer will not need the cere- 
 monials of a " week's preparation." Should he 
 unexpectedly have an opportunity of thus testi- 
 fying his allegiance to his Lord, his heart will 
 be ready for the duty. When, however, the 
 occasion is anticipated, it is necessary that it 
 should be preceded by special prayer a,nd self- 
 examination, so that the mind may be the more 
 powerfully affected with those truths to which 
 its attention will be directed. 
 
 Except when compelled by stern necessity, 
 never leave the chapel during the administra- 
 tion of the Lord's supper. Such a practice 
 generally indicates that the scenes of Calvary 
 have but feebly impressed the mind, and that 
 they have been the objects of a very defective 
 contemplation. 
 
 Let me, in conclusion, exhort you to a regular 
 attendance at the Lord's table. You thereby 
 declare yourself a disciple of Christ, and testify 
 your attachment to the brethren. As a means 
 of grace it is invaluable. It brings into opera- 
 tion those principles and feelings which are es- 
 sential to the Christian character. It strength- 
 ens faith and brightens hope ; it leads us to see
 
 J44 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 the evil of sin and the beauty of holiness ; it 
 promotes love to the Saviour, and increases our 
 attachment to his cause. It reminds us of our 
 weakness ; but it shows where our strength 
 lies, and directs us to the richest sources of 
 consolation. It impresses more deeply upon 
 us our obligations to God, stimulates us to a 
 more active obedience, and quickens us in the 
 pursuit of salvation. In making these state- 
 ments, I of course mean that the Lord's supper 
 produces these benefits instrumentally, not by 
 any efficiency of its own. The papists call it 
 a sacrifice, and thereby invalidate the one great 
 sacrifice of which it is only a simple but im- 
 pressive representation. In the proper sense 
 of the term, it is not even a representation ; for 
 there is no likeness, no real, no perceptible re- 
 semblance between the Saviour's sufferings 
 and the elements of bread and wine. As being 
 appointed by Him, these elements serve to re- 
 mind us of what he has accomplished on our 
 behalf. This is the purpose of their institution. 
 The papists also ascribe to these elements an 
 intrinsic efficacy ; considering them to possess 
 in themselves a transforming and sanctifying 
 power. This destroys the necessity of the 
 agency of the Spirit. Without him to enlight- 
 en, to impress, and to operate upon the mind, 
 the ordinance of the Lord's supper will be an 
 act of mere formality, or utter uselessness. 
 
 Look up to God for the influence of his 
 Spirit, and, assisted by him, punctually observe 
 this sacred rite. Surely there is nothing for-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 145 
 
 bidding in the contemplation of the Saviour's 
 dying love ; nothing terrific in viewing the 
 foundation of the sinner's hope ; and in these 
 glorious objects there is surely enough to win 
 the most reluctant, to enliven the most luke- 
 warm, and to rouse the most indifferent. 
 
 For further information on this subject, read 
 Mr. Wesley's sermon on " The Duty of con- 
 stant Communion." In this discourse the na- 
 ture of the ordinance, and the obligations con- 
 nected with it, are exhibited with that clearness 
 and force which distinguish the writings of the 
 venerable founder of Methodism. There is 
 also a more lengthened and very excellent 
 treatise on the Lord's supper by the late Rev. 
 William Orme ; which may be read with great 
 advantage. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SOCIAL MEANS OF GRACE (CONTINUED,; CLASS 
 
 MEETINGS, PRAYER MEETINGS, BAND MRET- 
 INGS, LOVE-FEASTS. 
 
 METHODISM is distinguished for the number 
 of its social ordinances, and for the peculiar 
 nature of some of them. Its love-feasts, band 
 meetings, and class meetings are calculated to 
 keep alive a constant, but pure and healthy 
 excitement. It is by these institutions that it 
 so completely adapts itself to our wants and 
 circumstances, and develops and sanctifies 
 the social affections of our nature. The con- 
 JO
 
 146 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 formity of these institutions with the spirit and 
 design of Christianity may be inferred from 
 their manifest tendency to preserve the life and 
 power of religion, as well as from the very 
 evident sanction with which they have been, 
 and are still, favoured by the great Head of the 
 church. Not only do they contribute to spirit- 
 ual edification and comfort, but they bring into 
 exercise those natural and acquired qualifica- 
 tions for usefulness, which might otherwise re- 
 main undiscovered and inactive. They thus 
 ensure to each individual member his proper 
 post of duty in the church, and prepare him for 
 those labours which improved talents and more 
 enlarged experience may fit him to undertake. 
 These services are, for the most part, held 
 on the week-day evenings. And to the spirit- 
 ually-minded Christian nothing surely can be 
 more refreshing than to escape from the toil, 
 and bustle, and cares of the world, in order to 
 realize the blessedness of communion with God 
 and with his people. The measure of attend- 
 ance which is given to these services may be 
 generally regarded as a correct criterion of the 
 state of the church. When the week-night 
 congregation is uniformly scanty, when but 
 very few are seen at the band and prayer meet- 
 ings, and when the classes are attended by a 
 very small proportion of their respective mem- 
 bers, we have, in such events, the melancholy 
 symptoms of a general state of lukewarmness 
 and declension. On the contrary, a regularly 
 good attendance on these occasions is to be re-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 147 
 
 garded as one indication of prosperity ; and is 
 almost invariably connected with that spirit of 
 prayer and zeal, without which converts will 
 never be multiplied. To secure the last-men- 
 tioned object, the use of extraordinary means 
 and efforts is, at times, both expedient and 
 necessary ; but it is, I think, undeniable that 
 new converts would be continually added to the 
 church, would its members but diligently use 
 the means they already possess, and faithfully 
 apply those efforts which lie in the ordinary 
 course of duty. 
 
 It is, I presume, almost unnecessary to state, 
 that the social are not to be substituted for the 
 private means of grace. Indeed, a regular at- 
 tendance on the social means will, I think, be 
 generally found connected with a regular ob- 
 servance of private means : when the latter 
 are neglected, there will be no relish for the 
 former. 
 
 If you are free from domestic ties and im- 
 pediments, if you have the power of arranging 
 and of pursuing your own plans, I have no 
 hesitation in saying, that it is your duty to at- 
 tend all the means of grace. To accomplish 
 this, will at times, perhaps, demand the sacri- 
 fice of some personal convenience or gratifica- 
 tion, and call for decision and self-denial : but 
 decision and self-denial, in such cases, are 
 never practised in vain ; they receive a present 
 and a rich reward. Even your worldly occu 
 pation, when it can be left, ought not to be re- 
 garded as a sufficient exouse for not attending
 
 148 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 regularly the social ordinances of the church. 
 Although absence from the duties of your call- 
 ing may not be so satisfactory as your personal 
 superintendence, yet ultimately, perhaps, you 
 will not find it injurious to your worldly con- 
 cerns if you occasionally leave them in the 
 care of your heavenly Master, for the sake of 
 promoting the interests of his church, and of 
 securing your own spiritual improvement. 
 
 When the claims of worldly occupation or of 
 domestic duties are so imperative as to render 
 it impossible to observe all the social means, 
 you will, if earnestly seeking salvation, make 
 those arrangements by which you may accom- 
 plish what is practicable. All that is practi- 
 cable is obligatory : more than this cannot be 
 required, and less should not be given. And 
 if you are in those circumstances or under those 
 restraints, which incapacitate you from attend- 
 ing any of the week-night services, you will 
 find it not unprofitable to mark the hour at 
 which ytfur brethren assemble, and to make it, 
 as far as possible, a season of prayer and medi- 
 tation : so that while absent in body, you may 
 be with them in spirit. 
 
 As MEETING IN CLASS is, with Methodists, 
 one of the conditions of membership, you 
 scarcely need to be reminded of your obliga- 
 tions to attend regularly on this important 
 means of grace. If you are sincere, the class 
 meeting will neither be dreaded nor disliked. 
 There is, perhaps, no religions ordinance more 
 delightful and salutary in its influence on the
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 149 
 
 minds of those who diligently seek God, and 
 who endeavour faithfully to serve him. As 
 they have no motive for concealing their actual 
 state and character, they can sustain the test 
 to which the class meeting subjects them ; they 
 can, with frankness, humility, and gratitude, de- 
 scribe their religious experience ; and" in the 
 utterance of their own feelings, in listening to 
 the statements of their fellow-members, and in 
 receiving the admonitions of their leader, they 
 find themselves stimulated, strengthened, and 
 encouraged ; they are blessed with manifesta- 
 tions of the divine presence and favour, and re- 
 turn to their homes, cleaving unto the Lord with 
 increased confidence, attachment, and devoted- 
 ness. Such are the advantages which class 
 meetings are the means of conferring on those 
 who resort to them in sincerity ; and those who 
 realize such advantages will not need either 
 remonstrance or entreaty, in order to secure 
 their regular attendance. If they are occasion- 
 ally absent, their absence will be the result of 
 causes over which they have no control. 
 
 To the unwatchful, cold-hearted, and worldly- 
 minded professor, class meetings are an unwel- 
 come ordeal. His false pretensions, his super- 
 ficial experience, shrink from the searching in- 
 vestigation : when he does venture to submit 
 to it, his soul is oppressed with the conscious- 
 ness of its criminal deficiencies ; and instead 
 of being filled with peace and joy, he is loaded 
 with shame and self-reproach. Three alterna- 
 tives lie before him : either he must rouse him-
 
 150 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 self from his lethargy, and by prayer and faith 
 obtain mercy through the atoning blood ; or he 
 must, by stifling conviction, and by silencing 
 the reproofs of conscience, so harden his feel- 
 ings as to render them impenetrable ; or he 
 must altogether discontinue his attendance, a 
 measure most generally adopted by those who 
 yield to a spirit of formality and deadness. It 
 is needless to say which of these alternatives 
 ought to be chosen. That you may avoid the 
 necessity of selecting either of them, be dili- 
 gent, be earnest in private duties. 
 
 Some who are truly devout may be unable 
 to relish class meetings, in consequence of 
 natural diffidence, or peculiarity of mental con- 
 stitution. I cannot, however, but think that 
 these difficulties might, in most cases, be over- 
 come. If you have to encounter them, do not 
 quietly yield them the victory. Try what can 
 be accomplished by prayer and perseverance. 
 Look up to God for strength : strengthened by 
 him, your nervous timidity and unnecessary 
 self-restraint will depart ; and that which is 
 now regarded with anxiety, will be anticipated 
 with gladness ; that which has now to be 
 borne as a cross, will be appreciated as a pri- 
 vilege. 
 
 Never absent yourself from your class merely 
 because you are in a dull and languid state of 
 feeling. When your temper has been irritated, 
 your mind harassed, or your spirits exhausted 
 by trying circumstances or by pressing anxi- 
 eties, you are ready to conclnde that by going
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 151 
 
 to class, you will neither obtain nor impart any 
 spiritual good ; that the statement of your ex- 
 perience will neither be creditable nor edifying; 
 and by these, or similar reasonings, you may be 
 induced to believe, that remaining at home is 
 not the result of inclination, but an act of duty. 
 Such are the devices by which Satan endeav- 
 ours to prevent the people of God from using 
 the means best calculated to remove the evils 
 against which they have to struggle. It is to 
 his interest that you should absent yourself from 
 religious ordinances, when you most need their 
 quickening and comforting influence. When 
 you feel the repugnance adverted to, resist it, 
 conquer it. Resolutely perform what is ob- 
 viously your duty ; and if it be a sacrifice, make 
 it. Let those considerations which have been 
 suggested to you as excuses for absence, be 
 viewed as the strongest possible reasons for 
 your presence. Go to your class, casting your- 
 self on the mercy of God ; and you shall be re- 
 warded for your obedience. You shall be able 
 to give the testimony which thousands have 
 given, who have gone to this ordinance with 
 darkened, desponding, and reluctant minds, but 
 who have returned from it with their burden re- 
 moved, with their strength renovated, and their 
 hearts rejoicing in God. 
 
 I need not say, be in time. The reasons 
 which have been urged for an early attendance 
 on public worship, are equally applicable to the 
 class meeting. 
 
 If possible, secure a few minutes for previous
 
 152 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 retirement. As you proceed to the place of 
 meeting, let your mind be occupied in prayer 
 and self-examination. Never premeditate a 
 speech : let your statement be the simple spon- 
 taneous expression of your feelings. Use no 
 high-sounding words ; neither aim at forming 
 a finely-turned sentence. Let your language be 
 such as will convey to your leader some distinct 
 and definite ideas of the state of your mind. 
 Avoid, as much as possible, those religious 
 technicalities and cant phrases which mean 
 either any thing or nothing, and from which no 
 conclusion can possibly be drawn as to whether 
 the party who uses them is a saint or a sinner. 
 Avoid all affectation. Let both your tone and 
 manner be perfectly natural. Speak as you 
 would in ordinary conversation, on any subject 
 which you felt to be of great importance, and 
 in which you had a deep personal interest. 
 Endeavour to throw off the restraint and stiff- 
 ness, which it is to be feared are too prevalent, 
 and which chill the feelings, and cause an un- 
 necessary reserve. Let your whole demeanour 
 be marked by modesty, humility, and self-pos- 
 session ; and while you shun whatever might 
 betoken an unseemly boldness, speak with suf- 
 ficient loudness to be heard by your fellow- 
 members. It is for their edification that you 
 are present, as well as for your own. Remem- 
 ber also that you are not surrounded by critics 
 and enemies, but by Christian friends : give 
 them credit for kindly feeling and affectionate 
 sympathy. But above all, realize the presence
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 153 
 
 of God ; and remember that it is to God, and 
 not to man, to whom you must give an account. 
 
 In describing your spiritual state, be as brief 
 as is consistent with justice to yourself, to your 
 leader, and to your class-mates. Needless 
 repetitions and lengthened details, of course, 
 become tedious, and destroy the interest and 
 utility of the meeting. In a large class brevity 
 of speech on the part of each member is indis- 
 pensable ; and in a small one, it is neither judi- 
 cious nor faultless to make that a trial of patience 
 which ought to be a source of interest, and a 
 means of spiritual improvement. Providing 
 your words are to the purpose, the fewer they 
 are in number the better. 
 
 Let your statements be as explicit as will be 
 consistent with prudence. The class meeting is 
 not the place for proclaiming family grievances, 
 nor for casting reflections upon those who may 
 have treated you unkindly. Trials like these, 
 if mentioned at all, should only be alluded to in 
 the most general terms. If during the week 
 you have received any signal manifestation of 
 the divine favour, or have passed through any 
 severe conflicts, it will be your duty to relate 
 such events with a view to the edification of 
 others. Some of the difficulties and tempta- 
 tions which you have to encounter, you may 
 describe more particularly ; taking care that 
 the details do not occupy too much time, and 
 that they have also a manifest tendency to bene- 
 fit your brethren. In short, if you are losing 
 ground in religion, acknowledge it ; if you are
 
 154 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 advancing, thankfully declare it. Avoid hypo- 
 crisy in every form ; conscientiously guard 
 against exaggeration ; never misrepresent facts, 
 nor pervert truth. But in avoiding hypocrisy, 
 you need not be guilty of indiscretion : you may 
 maintain your integrity, without violating every 
 sense of propriety. Remember that you are in 
 a Methodist class meeting, and not in a popish 
 confessional ; and that your leader is a Chris- 
 tian friend, and not an emissary of antichrist. 
 Should you have any painful anxiety on your 
 mind, the precise nature or causes of which it 
 would not be expedient to specify in your class, 
 lay the matter before God, and make it the sub- 
 ject of enlarged and special supplication. If, 
 however, relief is not obtained, and if the cir- 
 cumstances be such as to render judicious coun- 
 sel desirable, you may in confidence consult 
 either your leader or your superintendent : re- 
 membering that to enable the party consulted 
 to form a correct judgment, the facts must be 
 fully and fairly stated ; and that prayer should 
 be previously offered that God would lead your 
 adviser to a right decision. 
 
 In your choice of a class leader, you may 
 probably have to be guided, in a great measure, 
 by considerations of time and place ; but if 
 these are matters of indifference, you will of 
 course select one whose deportment and cha- 
 racter are calculated to win your esteem and 
 confidence, and whose wisdom and piety will 
 qualify him for imparting seasonable and faith- 
 ful counsel. When you have made your selec-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 155 
 
 tion, steadfastly adhere to it. Never become a 
 wanderer from class to class. Those who yield 
 to this unsettled, roving habit, seldom, if ever, 
 make any satisfactory progress in religion. He 
 who is frequently changing his class leader is 
 either excessively unfortunate or excessively 
 capricious ; but most probably the latter. When 
 circumstances exist which, in your views, jus- 
 tify you in removing from one class to another, 
 previously state your intention to the leader, 
 whose instructions you have been in the habit 
 of receiving ; frankly tell him the causes of the 
 arrangement you have adopted : if those causes 
 have no reference either to his personal or 
 official conduct, or to the conduct of any of the 
 members, your removal will be the less painful 
 to him. If, however, you have any cause of 
 complaint, either against your leader, or against 
 a fellow-member, you are bound in justice ex- 
 plicitly to state your grievance to the offender. 
 This mode of proceeding will often remove the 
 difficulty. But on this subject more will here- 
 after be said. Always treat your leader with 
 kindness and respect. 
 
 Toward your fellow-members of the class, 
 let your deportment evince the cordiality of 
 Christian affection. I need not, I trust, warn 
 you against yielding to any temptation you may 
 be under to criticise the phraseology or man- 
 ner of speaking adopted by others. Christian 
 consistency forbids this. Nor will you, unless 
 you are destitute of every proper feeling, ridi- 
 cule the peculiarities which others may possess
 
 156 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 Neither will you harbour the slightest suspicion 
 of the sincerity of any one, unless you have a 
 certain knowledge of facts which justify it. 
 Rather cultivate and bring forth the fruits of 
 that charity which hopeth all things, which 
 beareth all things, which thinketh no evil, but 
 suffereth long, and is kind. 
 
 The ordinance which has the next claim on 
 your attention is the weekly PRAYER MEETING. 
 If, in the arrangement of Providence, there be 
 an inseparable connection between the means 
 and the end, if the latter cannot be realized 
 without the former, then is a spirit of united, 
 persevering, and believing prayer essential to 
 the prosperity of a Christian church. To ex- 
 pect prosperity without prayer is presumption ; 
 and all excitement, unconnected with the spirit 
 of prayer, is fanaticism. As the Christian can- 
 not live without prayer, so neither can the 
 church ; and as the individual who most fre- 
 quently and fervently prays will advance most 
 rapidly in the knowledge and love of Christ, so 
 the church, the members of which most regu- 
 larly and cordially unite in the prayer of faith, 
 will be most abundantly favoured with manifest- 
 ations of the presence and power of Jehovah. 
 
 The spirit of united prayer, and a state either 
 of discord or of declension, never yet existed 
 together. Such a combination is, in the nature 
 of things, impossible. How can they who fre- 
 quently meet for the purpose of imploring bless- 
 ings on each other, cherish a spirit" of conten- 
 tion, or employ the language of recrimination ?
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 157 
 
 How can they experience a declension in piety, 
 who sustain each other by mutual intercession, 
 and who thereby bring into exercise the most 
 important principles and virtues of the Christian 
 character ? United prayer is the best remedy 
 for those evils under which the church has, at 
 limes, to groan ; and the surest method of 
 sanctifying those afflictions through which the 
 church has, at times, to pass. If, on the first 
 appearance of the symptoms of disunion, the 
 parties, instead of struggling and contending, 
 would agree to refer the matters in dispute to 
 God, the divine Arbitrator, and would strive and 
 wrestle together in their prayers for divine illu- 
 mination and direction, the controversy would 
 soon be over, and "one mind" and "one judg- 
 ment" would be given to the supplicants. Their 
 views would, on many points, be reversed : 
 things which previously had the magnitude of 
 mountains, would have the insignificance of 
 molehills ; while what was previously regard- 
 ed as subordinate, would be invested with a 
 supreme importance. 
 
 The value of united prayer to a religious 
 society can never, in this world, be adequately 
 estimated, because the amount of benefit result- 
 ing from it can never be fully ascertained. Its 
 blessings are not to be limited to those which 
 are open to observation ; but, considering the 
 enemies to which the church is exposed, we 
 must think of the unseen evils that are prevent- 
 ed by the believing prayers of a united people. 
 Supposing these prayers to be discontinued, it
 
 158 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 is impossible to tell how many instances of foul 
 and disgraceful apostacy might occur, or what 
 a death-like spiritual slumber would paralyze 
 the church, or to what extent corruption in doc- 
 trine and in practice might prevail. Worldli- 
 ness and pride would get possession of many 
 hearts, which might otherwise be filled with 
 spirituality and meekness. Satan would find 
 his conquests both numerous and easy ; either 
 he would induce a state of universal lukewarm- 
 ness and carnai security, or he would cause 
 " grievous wolves to enter in, not sparing the 
 flock ;" or " from among their ownselves" he 
 would prompt " men to arise, speaking perverse 
 things, to draw away disciples after them." 
 But the spirit of united prayer enables the 
 church to present a strong phalanx against the 
 powers of darkness, and against the inroads of 
 error and of sin. It scatters to the winds the ele- 
 ments of discord, and gives supremacy to mu- 
 tual confidence and mutual love. It brings down 
 copious showers of divine influence, which 
 purify and enrich those upon whom they descend, 
 and the fruits of which are exhibited in the 
 growing piety, the settled peace, the ardent zeal, 
 and the steady increase of the whole society. 
 
 The church is a living witness for God, the 
 conservator of his truth, and the disseminator 
 of its blessings. That this high character may 
 be maintained, that the obligations connected 
 with it may be fulfilled, that the honours award- 
 ed to it may be enjoyed, the spirit of united 
 prayer must possess a pre-eminent influence,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 159 
 
 and its importance must be practically acknow- 
 ledged. And when we contemplate the state 
 of the world, the gross darkness which covers 
 it, the sensuality that enslaves it, and the viru- 
 lent opposition to God by which it is actuated ; 
 and when we look at the comparative insignifi- 
 cance of the number of real Christians, we 
 naturally adopt the conclusion, that something 
 more than merely human energy must be put 
 forth, in order to transform and purify that liv- 
 ing mass of corruption which the world pre- 
 sents. God has promised to pour out his Spirit 
 upon all flesh ; but the fulfilment of the promise 
 will be in answer to the prayers of his people. 
 The moral destinies of the world are therefore, 
 in a certain sense, placed in their hands. It 
 consequently behooves every individual of them 
 to consider his awful responsibility in this re- 
 spect. Every member of a Methodist society 
 who constantly and needlessly absents himself 
 from the weekly prayer meeting, does his share 
 toward banishing the spirit of prayer from that 
 society ; he does that which, if universally 
 practised by his brethren, would present to the 
 gaze of earth and heaven the awful, melan- 
 choly spectacle of a prayerless church; and 
 pursues a course which, if universally adopted, 
 would keep the cause of religion in its present 
 feeble and diminutive state of existence, pre- 
 vent the accomplishment of the divine promises, 
 perpetuate the misery, the pollution, and the 
 guilt of a world lying in wickedness, and mul- 
 tiply the number of the lost.
 
 160 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 Seeing, then, that the interests of the church, 
 the conversion of the world, and the glory of 
 God are so immediately involved in this matter, 
 let me prevail upon you to exert your influence 
 toward promoting in the society with which 
 you are connected a spirit of united prayer. 
 We learn from the highest authority, that the 
 effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 
 availeth much : from this it necessarily follows 
 that the effectual fervent prayers of many right- 
 eous will avail proportionally more, and be 
 attended with a proportionable increase of suc- 
 cess. Who can doubt of this when it is remem- 
 bered, that these petitions are addressed to 
 Him whose distinguishing prerogative it is to 
 hear and to answer prayer whose " faithful- 
 ness is everlasting" who "delighteth in 
 mercy" who " rejoices in the prosperity of 
 his people" and who " hath no pleasure in 
 the death of the wicked ?" What a powerful 
 instrument for good do the churches of Christ 
 possess in the presentation of united and be- 
 lieving prayer to the throne of the heavenly 
 grace ! And surely, if ever there was a time 
 when the vigorous use of this instrument was 
 needed, that time is the present ; if ever there 
 were circumstances which called upon the 
 people of God to be united in this great work, 
 those circumstances now exist. 
 
 Your own spiritual benefit will be greatly 
 promoted by regularly meeting with your bre- 
 thren for the exercise of social prayer. In the 
 petitions that are presented your own wants
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 161 
 
 are specified, your own desires expressed ; and 
 when blessings are supplicated for the whole 
 society, you feel that you have a personal inte- 
 rest in them. While, therefore, you join in 
 making intercession on behalf of your brethren, 
 you will have the cheering assurance that they 
 also are interceding for you ; and thus you will 
 combine many of the advantages of private de- 
 votion with the exhilarating and sanctifying 
 effects of united supplication. But the profit- 
 able influence which you will derive from the 
 prayer meeting will not be confined to the 
 meeting itself. United prayer will secure the 
 divine blessing on all the other means of 
 grace ; they will be accompanied with an 
 unction and a power proportioned to the fre- 
 quency, fervour, and faith with which the 
 members implore the outpouring of the Spirit 
 upon them in all their religious exercises. 
 And unless this be done, there will be no 
 genuine prosperity. Neither public worship, 
 nor the Lord's supper, nor class meetings, nor 
 band meetings, nor love-feasts will be attended 
 with any remarkable blessing unless the ob- 
 servance of them be connected with the spirit 
 of united prayer. 
 
 That this very important ordinance should 
 be neglected and undervalued, is truly lament- 
 able. Yet so it is. In many societies the 
 weekly prayer meeting, instead of being at- 
 tended, as it might be and ought to be, by a 
 fair majority of the members, is attended by 
 only a small minority. These things ought 
 11
 
 162 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 not to be. Let not my reader contribute to the 
 existence of such an evil. 
 
 To render the prayer meeting effective, all 
 that are present should earnestly and believ- 
 ingly pray ; the attention of each individual 
 should closely follow the thoughts and the lan- 
 guage of the person who may be engaged in 
 the audible act of supplication ; and, as recom- 
 mended in public worship, you will, by utter- 
 ing the usual responses, signify your adoption 
 of the sentiments expressed. Do not, how- 
 ever, fall 'into the practice, which I have too 
 frequently observed, of mending the prayers of 
 your brethren ; do not finish their sentences for 
 them, nor make additions to them. They will 
 do much better without such assistance, which 
 will only embarrass them, and prevent others 
 from deriving any benefit from the petitions 
 offered. While responses, seasonably uttered, 
 greatly enliven a meeting, it is unnecessary for 
 more than one person at a time to be audibly 
 engaged in the duty of prayer. All those loud 
 and continuous expressions of fervour, which 
 interrupt and drown the voice of the person 
 officiating, should be avoided. When, how- 
 ever, a powerful excitement exists, and when 
 it is evidently the result of deep and genuine 
 feeling, the consequent confusion must be 
 patiently endured : if it be at variance with 
 your taste, do not resist it, nor absent yourself 
 from the meeting on account of it. Haply you 
 may be found fighting against God ; and in 
 attempting to root up the tares, you may also
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 163 
 
 root up the wheat with them. Not that I con- 
 sider scenes of noisy excitement in prayer 
 meetings as in the least necessary to the ad- 
 vancement of true religion, or as furnishing any 
 indications of superior zeal. All violent ex- 
 citements must subside : this is a law of nature : 
 they exhaust themselves by their own violence, 
 and the reaction which follows brings on a state 
 of proportionable languor and insensibility. 
 
 That there can be zeal without excitement, 
 is, I am aware, impossible ; and that the work 
 of conversion must proceed much more rapidly 
 than it now does, if the world is to be Chris- 
 tianized, is undeniably certain. But religious 
 excitement may, I think, be so directed and 
 moderated as to maintain a perpetual influence. 
 There may be a zeal which shall not be the 
 less efficient, although guided by discretion 
 an exultation of spiritual joy, which shall not 
 be the less real, nor the less valuable, although 
 it be awed and chastened by a solemn sense of 
 the holiness and majesty of God. But those 
 who think themselves sober-minded in such 
 matters, cai.riot always have their wishes grati- 
 fied ; and if we intend to do good, we must 
 often consent to sacrifice our own feelings, and 
 accommodate ourselves to the views and pecu- 
 liarities of pthers. If, indeed, we withhold our 
 co-operation until every proceeding is in perfect 
 conformity with our standard of propriety, our 
 co-operation, perhaps, will never be given ; and 
 we shall incur the responsibility of refusing to 
 act when the circumstances of the church de-
 
 164 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 mand the exertions and influence of every indi 
 vidual member. 
 
 In revival prayer meetings there is frequently 
 one source of disorder, which must not be con- 
 demned even by the most fastidious taste. I 
 refer to the cries of penitents. To suspect the 
 parties of hypocrisy before their hypocrisy can 
 be proved, is flagrantly unjust ; and the most 
 rational philosophy will, I suppose, admit the 
 possibility of the mind being so overwhelmed 
 with a sense of guilt, as to be constrained to 
 give vent to its emotions in loud and bitter 
 wailings. But it is not by penitents exclusively 
 that the disorder of a revival meeting is created : 
 it is often caused, principally, by those who, 
 without injury to themselves or others, might 
 practice a little more self-restraint than they 
 seem inclined to submit to. Experienced and 
 established members of the society are fre- 
 quently the loudest in their acclamations. This 
 is both unnecessary and injurious. A more 
 quiet mode of proceeding would enable them 
 more effectually to discharge the important 
 duties in which, on such occasions, they ought 
 to be engaged. 
 
 In conversing with penitents in a revival 
 prayer meeting, ask them, in a tone of calmness 
 and kindness, a few leading questions, for the 
 purpose of ascertaining their views and feelings. 
 If, from their replies, you have reason to con- 
 sider them really awakened, direct them at 
 once to the cross ; speak of the infinite efficacy 
 of the atoning blood ; quote to them the pro-
 
 ADMONITORY CObNSELS. 1G5 
 
 raises of pardoning mercy ; remind them of the 
 declarations concerning the death of Christ, and 
 his ability to save. Urge them at once to be- 
 lieve these declarations and promises ; to cast 
 themselves now on the atonement of Christ, and 
 to confide in him for salvation ; and if peace 
 should not immediately result, to persist in the 
 exercise of this confidence until the assurance 
 of pardon is given. It is useless to exhort 
 penitents to believe, unless you also tell them 
 what to believe. The most effectual mode of 
 bringing faith into operation, is to place before 
 them the object and reasons of faith. Solemnly 
 charge the penitent never to cease praying and 
 struggling against unbelief until its power is 
 broken, and its darkness has passed away. 
 
 When you engage in the exercise of social 
 prayer, avoid tediousness. Be short. Be fer- 
 vent. In order to keep up the interest of a 
 prayer meeting not fewer than six should pray 
 within the hour. As it is desirable that each 
 prayer should be preceded by singing, the time 
 occupied by each individual should not be 
 longer than seven or eight minutes. 
 
 Abstain from the common-place phraseology 
 which is so often used in the commencement 
 of a prayer. You need hot spend time in de- 
 lineating the divine character, which has, per- 
 haps, been repeatedly done before ; but go 
 direct to the throne of grace, and at once adopt 
 the language of supplication. 
 
 I have elsewhere mentioned those objects 
 for the accomplishment of which the Christian
 
 166 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 should pray in his closet ; and most of them 
 are specially suitable for social prayer. To 
 secure variety, it may be as well to select 
 those which have not been adverted to by 
 those who may have preceded you. All who 
 officiate in a public prayer meeting should, 
 however, earnestly plead for the conversion of 
 sinners. Do not, in ordinary, make yourself 
 nor your relatives the subjects of distinct pe- 
 tition : at home this is your duty ; in public it 
 is unnecessary and unseasonable. 
 
 Generally speaking, it is exceedingly inju- 
 dicious to continue a prayer meeting to a very 
 late hour in the evening. And although circum- 
 stances may at times exist, when the occupation 
 of a longer period than usual is justifiable, yet 
 even then, to protract the meeting to a very late 
 hour is strongly to be deprecated. The ex- 
 haustion caused by such a proceeding prevents 
 both private and family duties from being pro- 
 perly attended to. Those who occupy subor- 
 dinate situations in households are not only 
 involved in personal unpleasantness, but have 
 perhaps to listen to blasphemies against religion, 
 provoked by the inconvenience to which the 
 family are subjected. Moreover, there are 
 considerations in reference to young people 
 which render their very late continuance at a 
 prayer meeting both imprudent and improper. 
 It is true, that by concluding the meeting at a 
 reasonable hour, some penitents may go away 
 with their distress unrelieved ; but, if they are 
 really penitents, and if suitable instructions be
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 167 
 
 given them, they may, I think, be safely com- 
 mitted to the care of that God who knows their 
 sorrows, and who regards them with infinite 
 tenderness. It will be better to intrust them 
 to his keeping than that his name should be 
 dishonoured and his cause needlessly injured. 
 " Let not your good be evil spoken of." 
 
 The BAND MEETING* stands nexts in im- 
 portance. Where this institution is held only 
 monthly, or once a fortnight, a regular attend- 
 ance is incumbent upon you. Should it be of 
 weekly occurrence, I would recommend you to 
 resort to it as frequently as possible ; as fre- 
 quently as you conscientiously believe to be 
 consistent with the claims of your family, and 
 of your class, and of the weekly prayer meeting. 
 
 The directions given in reference to class 
 meetings will, for the most part, be applicable 
 to the band meeting. As, however, in the latter 
 you are not called upon to relate your Christian 
 experience, let me exhort you not to be back- 
 ward or reluctant merely because the matter is 
 left to your own choice. Should there be a 
 pause in the meeting, do not hesitate to shorten 
 its continuance : your example may stimulate 
 others, and a gentle word of exhortation against 
 silence may not be without its effect. When, 
 you feel an inclination to speak, embrace the 
 first opportunity of obeying it : do not wait for 
 your elders ; such delays are neither expedient 
 nor lawful. By continuing to hesitate you will 
 
 * Band meetings are peculiar to the British Connec- 
 tion. Am. Ed.
 
 168 ADMON1TORV COUNSELS. 
 
 perhaps quench the ardour of desire, and be 
 compelled to leave the meeting without giving 
 utterance to your feelings, and consequently go 
 away self-condemned. 
 
 The design of the band meeting is to as- 
 semble the society together, that the members 
 may encourage and edify each other by " de- 
 claring what God hath done for their souls." 
 These meetings also furnish opportunities for 
 sanctified Christian intercourse, and for the 
 cultivation of Christian sympathy and kindness. 
 As their results are intended to operate on the 
 whole church, they are an important and 
 valuable appendage to Methodism. Let them 
 only be duly appreciated, and their advantages 
 will be manifest. 
 
 As LOVE-FEASTS are held but quarterly in 
 each society, you will, it is presumed, be gene- 
 rally able to attend. They enable members 
 from different parts of the circuit, and perhaps 
 also of neighbouring circuits, to meet for the 
 purpose of interchanging their thoughts and 
 feelings, and of relating any cheering evidences 
 of prosperity that may exist in their respective 
 societies. By such statements other church- 
 es are frequently roused to exertion^ and ex- 
 perience a happy and permanent revival. 
 While in the band meeting the observations 
 of each speaker should be generally confined 
 to his present religious state, in a love-feast 
 the means and process of conversion may 
 be very properly described ; taking care, how- 
 ever, not to repeat the same narrative in the
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 169 
 
 same place, unless it be at a considerable interval 
 of time. The testimonies which are given on 
 these occasions, and which develop the astonish- 
 ing power of divine grace and the mysterious 
 movements of divine providence, are often in- 
 tensely interesting and impressive. Where is 
 the heart that can withstand the melting influ- 
 ence of the plain unvarnished statement of one 
 who has been rescued from ignorance, poverty, 
 and wretchedness, by the transforming power 
 of the gospel ? 
 
 Under proper restrictions you may find it to 
 be both your privilege and your duty occasion- 
 ally to embrace an opportunity of attending the 
 love-feast of some contiguous society. Let 
 your freedom in this matter be exercised with 
 discretion. These excursions should not be 
 too frequent ; nor should they be indulged in 
 to the neglect of some other paramount duty. 
 I have known some, calling themselves Method- 
 ists, who would walk several miles to a love- 
 feast, but who. would withdraw from the chapel 
 when the Lord's suppe'r was about to be ad- 
 ministered ; and, although these might be only 
 exceptions to the general rule, yet such excep- 
 tions ought never to exist. Gall them not ex- 
 ceptions, but inconsistencies. 
 
 Although the brevity of speech which is 
 necessary in a class meeting, is not equally 
 essential in a band meeting, or in a love-feast, 
 yet even in the latter you must guard against 
 inflicting on your friends the miseries of 
 tediousness.
 
 170 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 If possible, avoid being late in your return 
 from a neighbouring love-feast. If you have 
 companions on your homeward journey, let 
 your conversation be as becometh the gospel of 
 Christ. 
 
 Let me earnestly recommend you to attend 
 punctually for the renewal of your ticket. The 
 
 QUARTERLY VISITATION OF THE CLASSES* IS 3, 
 
 most important and interesting arrangement of 
 Methodist discipline. It secures the advan- 
 tages of a personal interview between the 
 ministers and the people ; it enables the former 
 to ascertain the spiritual state of the societies, 
 and consequently to adapt their discourses to 
 those who are the objects of ministerial solici- 
 tude. There are, in some circuits, not a few 
 who seem to make light of this duty, at least 
 if we are to judge by the frequency of their 
 absence on these occasions. I would assure 
 such that they need not be alarmed at the 
 prospect of meeting their minister, who would 
 speak to them in a tone of Christian friendship, 
 and in the spirit of a faithful and affectionate 
 pastor. Their non-attendance will certainly 
 give him less trouble, but not equal satisfaction. 
 Moreover, all needless neglect of rule sanctions 
 and promotes, to some extent, that state of dis- 
 organization, which has only to prevail in a 
 church in order to effect its utter ruin. 
 
 * This regulation is peculiar to the British Connection. 
 Am. Ed.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 171 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ON T*HE DUTIES OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 IN the observations I have made on the 
 means of grace, your duties as a member of a 
 Methodist society have been to a certain extent 
 specified : there are, however, others, the ful- 
 filment of which is essential to your consist- 
 ency, your comfort, and your usefulness. 
 
 Let me first of all earnestly recommend you to 
 get firmly established in those principles which 
 distinguish the denomination of which you are a 
 member. Endeavour to acquire correct and 
 comprehensive views of the doctrines of 
 Methodism : they constitute that system which, 
 in modern phraseology, may be designated 
 evangelical Arminianism. This I sincerely 
 believe to be the doctrinal system of the New 
 Testament. I cannot, of course, enter into the 
 peculiarities of this system : you will find 
 them, however, most clearly and forcibly elu- 
 cidated in Mr. Wesley's Sermons. To these 
 Sermons I would direct your most serious 
 attention. Read them with prayer, and they 
 cannot fail to benefit and enlighten. Let the 
 views which they unfold be tested by the word 
 of God ; and I think you will find them to be 
 in perfect accordance with its plain declarations, 
 as well as to furnish rational and satisfactory 
 interpretations of many of those passages which 
 are difficult and obscure. The last-named ad-
 
 172 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 vantages will perhaps be more extensively de- 
 rived from Mr. Wesley's " Notes on the New- 
 Testament." You will 'also derive great ad- 
 vantage from an attentive perusal ?f Mr. Wes- 
 ley's " Preservative against unsettled Notions 
 in Religion :" and on no account omit reading 
 that admirable and interestir g work, Watson's 
 " Conversations for the Young." 
 
 At a time when the most strenuous efforts 
 are employed to disseminate the principles of 
 infidelity, it is especially incumbent on every 
 young Methodist to obtain some acquaintance 
 with the leading evidences of Christianity. 
 The principal of these evidences lie in a very 
 small compass. Here we have a number of 
 books recording certain events. The people 
 who lived at the time when, and in the places 
 where, these books were first published, must 
 have known, or at least must have had ample 
 means of knowing, whether the statements they 
 contained were true or false. Had they been 
 false, not only would they have been instantly 
 and unanimously rejected, but witnesses on 
 every hand would have come forth to expose 
 the fabrications which a set of designing men 
 were attempting to impose on the world. But 
 we have no such testimonies handed down to 
 us ; and for the best of all reasons, no such 
 testimonies ever existed. The events of the 
 gospel history were of too public a character 
 to admit, on the part of contemporaries, of any 
 doubt whatever of their existence. As, there- 
 fore, the facts of Christianity cannot be disproved,
 
 ADMONITORV COUNSELS. 173 
 
 the foundation of your faith is steadfast and un- 
 moveable. And as for its internal evidences, 
 when and where has a system been promul- 
 gated for the benefit of mankind, which gives a 
 more correct description of the moral state and 
 character of man ? which supplies him with 
 more efficient remedies for the evils under which 
 he labours ? which enjoins nobler duties, or in- 
 culcates purer virtues ? which unfolds a bright- 
 er prospect, or which reveals a more suitable 
 Saviour, and a more perfect God ? All these 
 are what man needs ; these are what man must 
 have, if he is to rise to honour and happiness. 
 And, before you allow infidels to shake your 
 confidence in the Scriptures, you must require 
 them to accomplish two objects, they must 
 first demonstrate the falsehood of the historical 
 statements of the Scriptures, and, secondly, 
 they must supply you with a better religion 
 than the one which the Scriptures develop. 
 
 Should you feel any perplexity on these sub- 
 jects, remember for your encouragement, that 
 no honest inquirer after truth ever yet became 
 an infidel. To solve any difficulties that you 
 may encounter, as well as to defend yourself 
 against the assaults of the common enemy, you 
 may read Paley's " Evidences of Christianity ;" 
 Paley's " Horae Paulinae ;" Bishop Watson's 
 " Apology for the Bible ;" Leslie's " Short and 
 Easy Method with Deists." " The Infidel's Own 
 Book," by the late Rev. R. Treffry, is a most in- 
 teresting and masterly production. You will 
 also find all the leading arguments against infi
 
 174 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 delity imbodied in the first volume of Home's 
 ." Introduction/' and also in the first part of 
 Watson's " Institutes." 
 
 The steadfastness of your faith in the funda- 
 mentals of Christianity will be proportioned to 
 the earnestness with which you seek the bless- 
 ings of salvation. If you feel your need of a 
 Saviour, if you also feel the efficacy of his 
 atonement, if your heart pant after holiness, 
 and if you experience the sanctifying influences 
 of the Holy Spirit, you will not be easily per- 
 suaded that the gospel is a delusion, nor soon 
 induced to renounce doctrines which you feel 
 to be the foundation of your hope, and the 
 source of your comfort. A firm belief in the 
 gospel is so thoroughly identified with its prac- 
 tical influence, that, if the latter be unfelt or 
 undervalued, the former will either soon lose 
 its existence, or become a cold and speculative 
 opinion. 
 
 If, therefore, you have found repose in that 
 glorious scheme of redemption which the New 
 Testament reveals, unflinchingly adhere to all 
 its essential peculiarities, and strenuously re- 
 sist every influence which would awaken your 
 conviction of their eternal truth and infinite im- 
 portance. If doubts and difficulties should be 
 sUggested,jseek the removal of them by reading 
 and prayer ; if they continue to harass, state 
 them to your minister, who will, most probably, 
 be able to give you those directions which will 
 terminate your anxiety ; but above all, search 
 the Sjpriptures and pray.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 175 
 
 As it regards the mysteries of revelation, it 
 may not be improper to observe, that you are 
 required to believe them simply as facts : the 
 mode of their existence not being explained, 
 cannot be understood, and therefore is no article 
 of Christian faith. For instance : we are not 
 informed, and therefore we cannot comprehend, 
 how there can be three divine Persons in the 
 essence of the Godhead. But, if there be 
 meaning in words, divine and infinite perfec- 
 tions are respectively ascribed to the Father, to 
 the Son, and to the Holy Ghost ; and yet we 
 know that there is only ONE God. We are not 
 then to inquire how this can be : we are simply 
 to believe that it is so, because the Bible de- 
 clares it. We are required to believe that a 
 Trinity of Persons in the Godhead is consistent 
 with a unity of essence ; and in the exercise 
 of this faith, we are required patiently to wait 
 until the mystery be unveiled and the difficulty 
 removed. This principle of believing a fact, 
 without understanding the mode of its existence, 
 governs our most familiar and powerful convic- 
 tions, And if a man is determined to believe 
 nothing that exceeds his comprehension of the 
 reason or mode of its existence, the articles of 
 his faith will certainly lie in a very small com- 
 pass. On this principle he must relinquish his 
 belief in his own existence ; for man is a 
 mystery to himself. I make these remarks in 
 order to caution you not to allow your mind to 
 be perplexed with those abstruse speculations 
 which are too high for you, and the perfect
 
 176 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 knowledge of which, in our present state, is 
 unattainable. Some have meddled with these 
 things, seriously to their own detriment, as well 
 as to the detriment of the church of God. 
 Novelties have been started which have multi- 
 plied the difficulties they were intended to re- 
 move, and the adoption of which has involved 
 their advocates in the labyrinths of error. 
 There are no novelties in Christianity ; except 
 what arise from the undecayed freshness and 
 interest which its doctrines possess, and the 
 imperishable beauty which, as a system, it ex- 
 hibits. " Be not carried about with every wind 
 of doctrine." If you have leisure and inclina- 
 tion to enter into a fuller investigation of the 
 Methodistic doctrines, I would recommend 
 the perusal of Fletcher's- controversial works, 
 but especially of Watson's " Institutes." 
 
 Aim at the acquisition of fixed opinions on the 
 subject of church government. On this topic, 
 volumes, pamphlets, and tracts, almost without 
 end, have been written ; and, as I think, to 
 very little purpose. Some have zealously con- 
 tended that the New Testament prescribes a 
 model of discipline, to which all the followers 
 of Christ are solemnly bound to conform. Ill 
 developing this model, some have maintained 
 that Episcopacy is its only true representation ; 
 others, that this honour belongs exclusively to 
 Presbyterianism ; and others, that it most un- 
 doubtedly belongs to Independency ; and of 
 each of these systems there are various modi- 
 fications. The result of thes<> conflicting views
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 177 
 
 has been to divide the church of God into sects 
 and parties, and to place those in an attitude 
 of rivalry and opposition who ought to have 
 been unchangeably ONE in Christ Jesus. From 
 my inmost soul do I deplore these divisions ; 
 and ardently do I long for the time when they 
 will cease to exist. 
 
 It is to be observed, that those who profess 
 to draw from the New Testament views so very 
 opposite on the subject of church government, 
 exhibit an almost perfect agreement on doctri- 
 nal points. When therefore men distinguished 
 for piety, candour, learning, talent, and patient 
 research, form conclusions so very different 
 from each other on questions of discipline, but 
 who are ONE in questions of doctrine ; what is 
 the inference to be drawn from such a fact ? 
 Why, that there is no precise model of church 
 government, adapted to every age, laid down 
 in the New Testament. Had it been so, we 
 may be assured that those who in other points 
 are guided into a striking sameness of opinion, 
 would have been led to evince something like 
 uniformity of sentiment on this subject. 
 
 Some have attributed an importance to what 
 they conceive to be the Scriptural form of church 
 discipline, which has placed it very nearly on 
 a level with the essential doctrines of the gos- 
 pel. And yet these very parties have, in their 
 own communities, adopted usages and regula- 
 tions for which they can produce neither actual 
 precedent, nor positive law in the New Testa- 
 ment. On being convicted of this inconsist- 
 12
 
 178 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 ency, their justification would be that they 
 had the sanction of some general principle 
 which was obviously enough enforced. This, 
 in my humble opinion, is all the sanction the 
 New Testament gives, or was ever intended to 
 give, on the subject of church government. 
 General principles are laid down, which it is 
 for us to ascertain and apply. 
 
 It is, I think, evident that the apostles, in 
 their official proceedings, were actuated by a 
 regard to the circumstances in which they were 
 placed ; and that their decisions were adopted 
 with a special reference to the state and cha- 
 racter of the parties whom those decisions were 
 likely to affect. In short, the wisdom which is 
 from above, love and justice toward their bre- 
 thren, a steady zeal in promoting the purity, 
 peace, and extension of the church, were the 
 moving principles of all their conduct, and 
 formed the foundation of all their plans. When 
 a religious community is governed on the same 
 principles, and in the same spirit, it is governed 
 rightly, and its operations will be generally 
 beneficial and successful. 
 
 That system of discipline is undoubtedly the 
 most Scriptural, which most effectually accom- 
 plishes the great purposes of Christianity ; 
 the discipline which, in the natural course of 
 its operations, secures a holy, enlightened, and 
 efficient ministry ; most safely guards the 
 church against the innovations of error and of 
 sin ; promotes mutual love and confidence 
 among the people ; unites them and their
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 179 
 
 ministers in the spirit of cordial co-operation ; 
 and imposes those obligations, and supplies 
 those motives, which prompt to the most vigor- 
 ous efforts for diffusing the blessings of the 
 gospel. The excellence of a system, there- 
 fore, will evidently depend more upon the spirit 
 in which it is administered, than upon the form 
 into which it may be organized. The wisest 
 regulations may be laid down on paper ; con- 
 flicting claims may there be adjusted with the 
 nicest accuracy ; power may be distributed and 
 invested in the most equitable portions ; but if, 
 in carrying out these arrangements, there be 
 bitterness of temper, rankling jealousy, and an 
 individual love of pre-eminence, the system, 
 however well proportioned and beautiful in the 
 abstract, will be worse than valueless, it will 
 be positively injurious. It will fail to realize 
 the great ends of the Christian dispensation ; it 
 will, in fact,, bring Christianity into contempt, 
 by presenting to the world scenes of enmity 
 and strife, where perfect love and perpetual 
 harmony ought to prevail. 
 
 In judging of a form of church polity from 
 the evils which may be connected with it, 
 caution must be exercised. The distinction 
 must be drawn between evils which are inhe- 
 rent, and those which are merely accidental ; 
 and before passing a sentence of condemnation, 
 we must ascertain whether they are fairly 
 attributable to the system, and are the natural 
 and necessary result of its operations, or 
 whether they do not proceed from the incapa-
 
 180 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 city and unfaithfulness of its professed support- 
 ers, or from the violation of acknowledged^ prin- 
 ciples, which, if properly maintained, would 
 produce a decided and manifest, preponderance 
 of good. Moreover, all human systems are 
 more or less imperfect. The difficulties which 
 u community has to encounter, the disadvan- 
 tages under which it labours, and the extent of 
 its resources, must also be taken into consider- 
 ation. Were we to form an opinion of the 
 divine government, simply from the aspect 
 which the world presents to us, we should be 
 inclined perhaps to conclude that the arrange- 
 ments under which so much physical and 
 moral evil exists, must be bad: but we know 
 to the contrary; we know that Jehovah's ad- 
 ministration is uniformly wise, and just, and 
 good; and that the miseries of mankind are 
 not brought on by conformity to the laws of 
 God, but by rebellion against them. 
 
 Should you determine to investigate the 
 merits of any particular form of church govern- 
 ment, endeavour to acquaint yourself with its 
 professed design, its natural tendency, and its 
 actual and general results : if all these be con- 
 sistent with each other, and their consistency 
 be in accordance with the spirit and purpose of 
 Christianity, you will, of course, conclude that 
 the system is both sound in principle, and suc- 
 cessful in operation. " By their fruits ye shall 
 know them." 
 
 It is neither expedient nor beneficial, that 
 you should allow your mind to be perplexed
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 181 
 
 and unsettled by the diversified opinions that 
 exist on the subject of church government. By 
 taking into calm and candid consideration a 
 few leading principles, you will not be long in 
 arriving at a satisfactory decision. Having, in 
 the fear of God, formed that decision, abide by 
 it. Cleave to it ; support it with firmness. Be 
 not induced to abandon it by a few difficulties : 
 these you must expect : encounter them in the 
 spirit of prayer and of faith ; sustain them with 
 fortitude and patience. Maintain your deliber- 
 ate convictions fearlessly, but meekly ; and let 
 it be evident to yourself and to the world, that 
 you have not joined a religious community, 
 either to purchase the favour, or to avoid the 
 displeasure, of any human being. 
 
 Labour to the very uttermost to promote the 
 peace of the society of which you are a member. 
 Peace is an essential element of prosperity. 
 He, therefore, who by his example and influ- 
 ence contributes to the peace of a church, does 
 something toward advancing the Redeemer's 
 kingdom, and fulfils a very important part of the 
 duties of church membership. 
 
 Avoid giving offence. Some professing Chris- 
 tians are lamentably defective on this point : 
 they seem to have little or no regard for the 
 feelings of their brethren ; and they recklessly 
 speak and act toward them in a manner which 
 they must know is calculated to grieve and to 
 irritate. This is too often the case in meet- 
 ings for business : should you become a mem- 
 ber of such meetings, be watchful. One angry
 
 182 ADMONITORY QOUNSELS. 
 
 expression may lead to most unexpected and 
 painful consequences. If you are poor, do not, 
 to. evince your independence, address the lan- 
 guage of defiance or of disrespect to your more 
 affluent brethren. If you are rich, do not speak 
 in a tone of contempt or of authority to your 
 poorer brethren. " Condescend to men of 
 low estate." On every occasion be mild, be 
 gentle, be courteous toward all. Cultivate the 
 meek, humble, affectionate spirit of your 
 Master ; and let this spirit govern you in all 
 your intercourse with your fellow-members. 
 When you are conscious of having acted in a 
 way that was calculated to offend, or when you 
 perceive that you have offended, though unin- 
 tentionally, lose no time either in confessing 
 your fault, or of assuring the party that you had 
 no design to give pain. There is nothing 
 servile or self-degrading in this : it is a mani- 
 festation of that manly and noble spirit which 
 imparts dignity and lustre to the Christian cha- 
 racter. 
 
 Avoid taking offence. Young converts, in the 
 simplicity and ardour of their " first love," are 
 apt to conclude that all professors are as holy 
 and as consistent as they themselves wish to be, 
 and as the New Testament requires them to 
 be. But they soon find that appearances are 
 often fallacious, and that the best of men have 
 their weaknesses and defects. And if very 
 high expectations have been cherished, they 
 are overwhelmed with astonishment when they 
 witness the first appearance of inconsistency,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 183 
 
 or experience the first indications of unkind- 
 ness. Be prepared for trials from your brethren. 
 The apostle Paul had to bear them ; but he did 
 not on that account indulge feelings of resent- 
 ment, nor desert the post of duty. Bear 
 patiently with the unpleasant peculiarities of 
 others, especially when modified by evidences 
 of fervent piety ; do not be offended, when 
 there is manifestly no intention to give offence. 
 If your temper be naturally proud and irritable, 
 pray against it ; struggle against it. It must 
 be conquered, or it will be a source of perpetual 
 misery to yourself, a ground of frequent com- 
 plaint to others, and a serious injury to the 
 church of God. 
 
 When offence has really been given to you, 
 do not on that account abandon the church, 
 neither discontinue your attendance at class. 
 To condemn a whole society for the miscon- 
 duct of one or of a few, is gross injustice. To 
 withdraw from the means of grace, because a 
 fellow-member has acted wrongfully toward you, 
 is to add to the injury you have already received. 
 Let not the wound which has been inflicted 
 rankle in your bosom. Do not brood over 
 your wrong, neither seek relief by telling your 
 grievance to others. This aggravates the evil, 
 and throws obstructions in the way of removing 
 it. By this practice you also place yourself 
 in a most disadvantageous position. By stating 
 your accusation when the accused is not pre- 
 sent to defend himself, you transform the of- 
 fender into the offended, and become yourself an
 
 184 ADMONITORY COUiNSELS. 
 
 offender. Go at once to your adversary ; kind- 
 ly and respectfully, but honestly and firmly, 
 lay your complaint before him alone. Guard 
 against the use of language which might exas- 
 perate : frankly tell him your opinion of his 
 conduct ; but at the same time assure him that 
 if his explanation prove that opinion to be ill- 
 founded, you will promptly relinquish it. Do 
 not demand any acknowledgments which you 
 cannot in justice to yourself persist in enforc- 
 ing ; and be prepared to make every conces- 
 sion which reason and truth may require from 
 you. This mode of proceeding will generally 
 lead to an amicable adjustment. This is the 
 mode, not merely recommended, but enjoined, 
 by our blessed Lord. Take his own words on 
 the subject : " Moreover, if thy brother shall 
 trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault 
 between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, 
 thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will 
 not hear thee, then take with thee one or two 
 more, that in the mouth of two or three witness- 
 es every word may be established. And if he 
 shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the 
 church : but if he neglect to hear the church, 
 let him be unto thee as a heathen man, and a 
 publican." O what heartburnings, what con- 
 tentions, what divisions would be prevented in 
 the church, if every member who is offended 
 by a brother would but implicitly obey this 
 clear and imperative injunction ! What a know- 
 ledge of human nature does it discover ! How 
 honourable is the course which it prescribes !
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 185 
 
 Here there is nothing but what is practicable, 
 nothing but what is reasonable, nothing but 
 what is just to both parties. To conform to 
 the spirit as well as to the letter of the precept, 
 requires the exercise of real humility, but a hu- 
 mility perfectly consistent with a proper regard 
 to our own feelings, and our own interests. It 
 is almost needless to say, that when the second 
 interview is necessary, the " witnesses" should 
 be persons of piety and of prudence, who will 
 be likely to take a clear and impartial view of 
 the case, and whose opinions will be received 
 with deference by the offender. To a Metho- 
 dist, the other expedients having failed, the 
 next court of appeal is the leaders' meeting.* 
 
 Abstain from evil-speaking. This abomina- 
 ble sin is a frequent destroyer of the peace of 
 churches, as well as a murderer of th,e reputa- 
 tion of individuals. It resists every impulse of 
 Christian love, and violates every principle of 
 common justice. It is a compound of malignity 
 and meanness, of duplicity and cowardice. 
 Whether it be the result of wanton thoughtless- 
 ness, or of deliberate malice, it is alike crimi- 
 nal and detestable. The whining cant with 
 which it is sometimes accompanied, renders it 
 the more insufferably disgusting ; while the 
 savage eagerness with which it is often perpe- 
 trated and listened to, partakes more of satanic 
 malignity than of the peaceful and benevolent 
 spirit of Christ. 
 
 * This is true of England, but does not apply to this 
 country. See Discipline, pages 45-47, 92-94. Am. Ed.
 
 186 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 As you wish never to be the victim of this 
 most cruel practice, do not make others the 
 victims of it by your own conduct. Never 
 needlessly expose the faults of your brethren. 
 I say needlessly : there may be circumstances 
 when it will be your duty to state them. The 
 church may demand it in order to the exercise 
 of that discipline which is essential to its purity. 
 The interests and happiness of others may de- 
 mand it, when both are likely to be sacrificed, 
 unless such information be given as will neces- 
 sarily cause a withdrawal of confidence, or the 
 termination of friendship. Justice to yourself 
 may demand it, when you are called upon to 
 vindicate your own character, or to enforce dis- 
 puted rights. But in all such cases there need 
 be no exaggeration, no bitterness ; nor can you 
 hesitate, if you are acting uprightly, to confront 
 the individual. But it is in ordinary conversa- 
 tion that you are more especially to guard 
 against the sin of discussing the faults, and in- 
 juring the private characters, of those who are 
 absent, whether they be members of the society 
 or not. 
 
 Should you be tempted to the commission of 
 this abominable sin, you will find yourself en- 
 abled to conquer it, by honestly inquiring how 
 you would speak of the individual if he were 
 personally present ; and also by inquiring how 
 you would like to be spoken of by the parties 
 whom you are addressing, if you were absent. 
 These are queries which come home to con- 
 science and to self. The sovereign remedy,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 187 
 
 however, of evil-speaking is love, pure, disin- 
 terested, universal love. If this divine principle 
 were allowed to maintain its rightful ascend- 
 ency in our hearts, we should never be guilty 
 of inflicting, either upon our neighbour or upon 
 our Christian brother, one of the deepest in- 
 juries which it is possible for man to sustain. 
 " Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." It 
 sweetly impels us to the constant observance 
 of that glorious precept, "All things whatso- 
 ever ye would that men should do to you, do ye 
 even so to them ; for this is the law and the 
 prophets." May the God of justice and of 
 mercy write this law upon our inmost minds. 
 
 To both the innocent and the guilty I would 
 earnestly recommend the occasional perusal of 
 Mr. Wesley's admirable Sermon on " The 
 Cure of Evil-speaking." The subject is also 
 very comprehensively and ably treated in a 
 distinct " Essay on Evil-speaking," by the Rev. 
 W. Shuttleworth, of Manchester. 
 
 Not only is it your duty to abstain from evil- 
 speaking : it is equally your duty to give it 
 your invariable and unequivocal opposition. 
 Never be an approving listener to the tales of 
 backbiters. It is easy to signify your unwil- 
 lingness to hear them. If less intelligible inti- 
 mations will not suffice, the best plan will be 
 to propose that you listen to their statements 
 on the express stipulation that you repeat to 
 the party whose character is under discussion 
 every word that is spoken against him, together 
 with the name of the speaker. The announce-
 
 188 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 ment of such a proposition will give a sudden 
 and complete change to the conversation. A 
 daughter of Eve once addressed a member of a 
 Methodist society thus : " You surely do not 
 
 attend the ministry of that Mr. , do you ? 
 
 Why, he is " Here she was interrupted by 
 
 the following admonition : " Now mind what 
 you say ; because every word you utter will 
 
 be repeated to Mr. as soon as I can see 
 
 him." It is needless to say that the intended 
 communication was withheld. 
 
 Here allow me to observe that when you do 
 repeat to another the censures which you have 
 heard cast upon him, you are bound to give the 
 name of the party who has uttered the censures, 
 with full liberty to the accused to adopt the di- 
 vinely prescribed mode of justifying himself, 
 and of seeking redress. To withhold the name 
 on such occasions, is not only wantonly to tor- 
 ture the feelings of a brother, but also to disable 
 him from distinguishing friends from foes, and 
 thus leave him to the risk of suspecting the 
 former, and of reposing confidence in the latter. 
 To mention the name of the accuser, and at 
 the same time to prohibit the accused either 
 i'rom making any inquiries, or demanding any 
 explanation, is to act the part of a malicious 
 and dastardly mischief-maker, and to create 
 enmity between those who ought to be, and 
 who but for you would be, affectionately united. 
 
 Should a Christian brother request you in 
 confidence to hear his complaint of the ill treat- 
 ment he has received from another, it will be
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 189 
 
 your duty first to inquire whether he has en- 
 deavoured to adjust the matter in a private in- 
 terview : if he has not, decline to receive the 
 statement, until this necessary step has been 
 taken. If it has been taken, and it be wished 
 that you should act as a " witness" and a medi- 
 ator, you may then, perhaps, without impropri- 
 ety listen to tlie representation, providing you 
 do not allow it to excite a prejudice against the 
 party implicated. You must, indeed, suspend 
 your judgment, and refuse to give any opinion, 
 however cautiously expressed, until you have 
 heard the accused speak in his own vindication. 
 Whatever appearance of consistency and of 
 truth there may be in the narrative you first 
 listen to, you will probably find, on hearing the 
 other side of the question, that the conclusions 
 which you were previously inclined to think 
 irresistible, are erroneous, and that the view 
 you had taken of the case has not only to be 
 modified, but reversed. To be obliged to re- 
 tract a previously expressed opinion, will con- 
 tribute neither to your own satisfaction, nor to 
 the satisfaction of the person in whose favour 
 it has been given. 
 
 If, however, an aggrieved party commences 
 an appeal to you, respecting some alleged injury, 
 and with the circumstances of which you are 
 well acquainted, you will be acting the part of 
 a " peace-maker" if you hear his statement, and, 
 if it be in your power, communicate those facts 
 which will remove the false impression under 
 which he is labouring. Indeed, when you are
 
 190 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 aware of any member of the church who, from 
 misinformation or misconstruction, is dissatis- 
 fied with the conduct of a fellow-member, it 
 will be your duty, even unrequested, to endea- 
 vour to undeceive the complaining party, by 
 placing the affair before him in its proper light, 
 and thereby divesting him of his groundless 
 prejudices and resentments. 
 
 You cannot too highly appreciate the value of 
 peace in a Christian society ; nor can you be 
 too deeply impressed with the fact that the ex- 
 istence of peace essentially depends, under God, 
 on the spirit and conduct of each individual 
 member. Your responsibility in this respect is 
 fearfully great. However obscure your worldly 
 station, you have it in your power either to 
 promote or to interrupt that interchange of 
 mutual esteem, confidence, and affection, which 
 may happily prevail in the church to which 
 you belong. By yielding to an angry and re- 
 sentful temper ; by the utterance of rash and 
 offensive language, you may involve yourself 
 in a fierce personal contest ; and though you may 
 know the time and the place pf its commence- 
 ment, yet you do not know, you cannot know, 
 either when, or where, or how it will terminate. 
 " How great a matter a little fire kindleth !" 
 One solitary " root of bitterness springing up" 
 in the church, may so disseminate its poison- 
 ous influence, as to " trouble" and " defile 
 many." Let it therefore be your prayer, that 
 you may never be the originator of evils so 
 deeply injurious and deplorable. And that
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 191 
 
 such guilt may never come upon you, "put 
 away from you all bitterness, and wrath, and 
 anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, with all 
 malice," and " put on. as one of the elect of 
 God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, 
 kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long- 
 suffering ; forbearing and forgiving," in the 
 exercise of perfect love. 
 
 The existence of conflicting parties in a 
 Christian church, as well as of the divisions to 
 which they frequently lead, is to be invariably 
 traced to a deficiency of the virtues specified in 
 the latter of the two preceding quotations, 
 virtues which are inculcated in the New Testa- 
 ment with impressive earnestness and fre- 
 quency. They constitute the foundation of 
 peace, because they guarantee an unflinching 
 adherence to the great principles of truth and 
 of justice. Only let each member of a Metho- 
 dist society bring these virtues into full de- 
 velopment, and no unreasonable demands will 
 ever be proposed, no reasonable demands will 
 ever be resisted. Moreover, " bowels of mercies, 
 kindness, humbleness of mind" &c., are insepa- 
 rably connected with active zeal ; they are the 
 fruits of that efficient agency of the Spirit 
 which is always productive of deep devotedness 
 to God, and of enlarged and enlightened views of 
 Christian duty ; they consequently ensure that 
 combination and constancy of effort to do good, 
 which allow of no opportunity for wrangling 
 about abstract rights, or for insisting upon inno- 
 vations of more than doubtful expediency.
 
 192 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 Considering that the ministers and members 
 of every religious denomination consist of men 
 possessing the unavoidable infirmities of human 
 nature, I do not see how it is possible for any 
 community to be entirely exempt from the re- 
 sults of these infirmities. And if dissatisfac- 
 tion is to be encouraged, and parties and divi- 
 sions organized, merely because some measures 
 are in operation which an individual supposes 
 to be either defective or inexpedient, or merely 
 because some measure is not adopted which 
 he considers desirable or necessary, we shall 
 discover in every Protestant evangelical com- 
 munity abundant grounds for remonstrance, 
 controversy, and agitation. Besides, in at- 
 tempting to rectify evils which do not affect 
 any fundamental principle, the remedy may 
 prove worse than the disease. This is the 
 case when a mere error of judgment is opposed 
 by acrimony of temper ; or when the discon- 
 tinuance of an objectionable rule or custom is 
 followed by protracted and ungovernable con- 
 , tention. While therefore neither minister nor 
 member is to sanction what he conscientiously 
 believes to be wrong, sound judgment must be 
 exercised in discriminating between that which 
 is wrong as a matter of opinion or as a mea- 
 sure of expediency, and that which is wrong 
 on account of its palpable opposition to the 
 spirit and precepts of the New Testament. 
 On the latter grounds our resistance can neither 
 be too honest nor too meek ; in reference to 
 the former it will often be our duty to surrender
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 193 
 
 our opinions, and to sacrifice our feelings, for 
 the sake of preserving the peace of the church. 
 For the loss of this peace, I can conceive of 
 no consequent advantages which can supply an 
 adequate compensation. 
 
 Far be it from me to say that the repeal of 
 old laws, or the introduction of new mea- 
 sures, may not, in some cases, be wisely re- 
 commended. Such alterations, when they do 
 not violate any fundamental principle, and when 
 they are clearly of a beneficial tendency, ought 
 to be adopted. And to secure their adoption, it 
 may be necessary to impart information, with 
 the view of removing objections, and of obtain- 
 ing the consent and co-operation of all parties. 
 This information must, of course, be tendered 
 in the spirit of love, and communicated through 
 legitimate channels, and accompanied by legi- 
 timate sanctions. In short, a right object must 
 be aimed at by the use of right means; and if 
 such means cannot peaceably secure it, the 
 only course prescribed by duty and sound policy 
 is, to abandon it. 
 
 If you and the society or connection to which 
 you may belong should come to a disagreement 
 on any point, your sanction or conformity to 
 which is incompatible with the dictates of a 
 good conscience, or by which your peace is 
 seriously and permanently disturbed, your spi- 
 ritual improvement retarded, and your useful- 
 ness impaired, it will then be your duty to 
 secede ; and to do so without endeavouring to 
 infect others with the dissatisfaction under 
 13
 
 194 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 which you labour, unless, indeed, you believe 
 their eternal interests to be involved in the 
 question. The most unequivocal mode of ex- 
 pressing our abhorrence of false doctrines is 
 to separate from those who inculcate them. 
 The most decided opposition we can give to 
 what we consider to be fundamental errors in 
 church government is to relinquish all connec- 
 tion with those who maintain them. 
 
 Never lend yourself to any proceedings, the 
 obvious tendency of which is to generate dis- 
 cord and division in the church on points not 
 essential to its purity and prosperity. To such 
 conflicts and their melancholy results some 
 may be reconciled by the exulting considera- 
 tion that the object which has cost so many 
 struggles is at length secured ; but while con- 
 templating the achievements of victory, it may 
 be as well also to survey its desolations. It 
 may be as well to think of the numbers whose 
 minds have been irritated and disgusted by 
 these unhappy contentions, and whose peace 
 has been lost, perhaps never to be regained. 
 It may be as well to think, even if there be no 
 organized secession, of the death-like torpor, 
 and consequent declension, which almost inva- 
 riably succeed a period of strife in a religious 
 society. It may be as well to think of the 
 scorn with which the world observes these 
 scenes of religious animosity, and the occasion 
 of triumph which they furnish to the enemies 
 of truth. It may be as well also to remember 
 that the wrathful controversies of Christians,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 195 
 
 pierce the Saviour's heart with an additional 
 wound ; nor is that wound the less agonizing, 
 nor the less cruel, for having been inflicted "in 
 the house of his friends." 
 
 Let your feelings and your conduct toward your 
 ministers be strictly regulated by the precepts of 
 the New Testament. The pastoral office is of 
 divine appointment, and it therefore claims 
 your profound respect. It is designed for the 
 spiritual edification of the people of God : you 
 therefore, as one of them, are bound to cherish 
 ardent affection toward those who proclaim to 
 you the word of life. They are instrumental 
 in conveying to you the richest blessings which 
 you can possibly enjoy ; and while the great 
 Giver of these blessings demands your highest 
 praise, you are not to regard with prejudice 
 and contempt the men whom he employs as 
 the messengers of his mercy. 
 
 A poor deluded papist renders a submission 
 and reposes a confidence in his priest, which is 
 as inconsistent with moral freedom and common 
 sense, as it is inimical to the interests of truth 
 and piety. But, while you condemn the slavish 
 prostration of intellect demanded by the priest- 
 ly arrogance of the Church of Rome, you must 
 guard against the opposite extreme of despising 
 those " who are over you in the Lord, and ad- 
 monish you." That the New Testament in- 
 vests Christian ministers with authority is un- 
 questionable, inasmuch as it enjoins obedience 
 to their instructions as a part of Christian duty. 
 To specify the legitimate extent of ministerial
 
 196 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 power on the one hand, or to define the precise 
 limits of obedience due to it on the other, is 
 impossible. These are points which the 
 Scriptures have wisely left undetermined ; but 
 they are points respecting which no difficulties 
 will be experienced, where ministers and peo- 
 ple are bound together by mutual confidence 
 and affection. Certain it is that neither the 
 one nor the other is designed to interfere with 
 the dictates of conscience, or to trample upon 
 the rights of private judgment : these great 
 prerogatives, as they constitute the principal 
 foundations of man's responsibility to God, must 
 be maintained inviolate. But they must be 
 maintained in the spirit of meekness and of 
 love. The rights of freedom maybe advocated 
 and exercised in the spirit of most absolute 
 tyranny. There is the despotism of the many 
 as well as of the few. Some, evidently misun- 
 derstanding the mutual obligations of pastor and 
 people, seem to think that their independence 
 cannot be upheld, unless they multiply occa- 
 sions of either disregarding or opposing the 
 views of their ministers ; and they seem also to 
 think that the more frequently those views are 
 thwarted, the more effectually do they advance 
 the cause of religious liberty. Indeed, if the 
 feelings and sentiments which are occasionally 
 manifested be correct, the people are appointed 
 \JQ watch over their ministers, and not the min- 
 isters to watch over the people. But when 
 ministerial conduct is viewed with unceasing 
 suspicion, and judged of with unsparing seve-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 197 
 
 rity, when the most insignificant matters must 
 be so guarded and managed as to prevent any 
 encroachment on what are termed popular 
 rights, it is impossible that there can be either 
 peace or prosperity. There is, in such cases, 
 a want of that confidence which is essential to 
 cordial co-operation, attention is withdrawn 
 from objects of infinite importance, and fixed on 
 things that are comparatively worthless ; more- 
 over, there is generally in connection with such 
 feelings, a want of that purity of heart and spi- 
 rituality of mind, without which outward duties 
 will be unaccepted and unblessed. Those who 
 have been distinguished for eminent piety have 
 almost invariably been distinguished for ardent 
 attachment and deep respect toward the minis- 
 ters of the gospel. 
 
 When ministers are deprived of their Scrip- 
 tural authority and influence, their sense of 
 responsibility is proportionably lessened ; the 
 obligations of duty are in consequence but 
 feebly felt, and thus one powerful and neces- 
 sary stimulus to exertion becomes extinct. 
 Besides, when a minister finds himself eagerly 
 opposed and eagerly censured, and that his 
 feelings are not deemed worthy of the least 
 consideration, his mind becomes discouraged, 
 and his affections alienated ; duty becomes a 
 task, and labour a toil. Undoubtedly every 
 minister is bound to cultivate the affections of 
 the people : the people are equally bound to 
 cultivate the affections of their minister. He 
 also is a man : he is therefore as likely to be
 
 198 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 affected by their conduct toward him, as they 
 are by his conduct toward them. Nor can it 
 be imagined with what cheerful zeal, with what 
 ready self-denial, with what delightful expecta- 
 tions, and with what certain success, a minister 
 will prosecute his labours, when he discovers 
 that he has the confidence, the respect, the 
 attachment, and the prayers of his people. 
 
 Let me, therefore, exhort you never to allow 
 yourself to cherish either groundless prejudices 
 or unkind feelings toward your ministers. Let 
 them see that they have in you a firm support- 
 er, a cordial and a steady friend. Let them 
 see that they are the objects of your esteem 
 and affection. If such are your feelings toward 
 them, you will on their arrival in the circuit 
 [or station] " receive them with all gladness, 
 and hold them in reputation." Whatever as- 
 sistance or kindness you can render them, you 
 will render it ; and it will be done evidently as 
 a pleasure, and not as a condescension. There 
 are a thousand nameless attentions and modes 
 by which you may contribute to the personal 
 and domestic comfort of your ministers, and by 
 which you may not only gratify their feelings, 
 but relieve their anxieties. Heart-felt, con- 
 siderate, Christian affection will never be back- 
 ward to perform an act of friendship, nor in 
 discovering when it is most needful and most 
 seasonable. 
 
 If you love and respect your ministers, you 
 will neither turn them into ridicule, nor expose 
 their imperfections ; you will neither encourage
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 199 
 
 nor retail the slanders that may be uttered 
 against them. You will defend them against 
 the false accusations of the malicious, and 
 against the base insinuations of the envious. 
 Knowing that the usefulness of your ministers 
 depends, in a great measure, on the estimation 
 in which they are held, you will strenuously 
 uphold their characters ; and, should truth en- 
 join silence, with silence you will be contented. 
 If ministerial character has been forfeited, re- 
 member the connection has the power of exer- 
 cising the needful discipline : this ought to 
 satisfy. 
 
 Let your affection for your ministers be 
 evinced by cordially co-operating with them in 
 carrying out plans of usefulness. No professions 
 of attachment on the part of a people are of the 
 least value, if their ministers, in order to secure 
 their exertions, must repeatedly use remon- 
 strance and importunity. 
 
 If you truly love your ministers, you will 
 pray for them ; in private, as well as in social 
 meetings, you will implore the divine blessing 
 on them and on their labours. They have 
 anxieties which you cannot feel ; trials of which 
 you know nothing : against them the enemy of 
 souls directs his most subtle and powerful 
 assaults. Pray for your ministers, that they 
 may be preserved from evil, and that their 
 faith and love and usefulness may abound more 
 and more ; pray for a blessing on their family 
 connections, and that wherever they go the 
 presence and power of God may go with them,
 
 200 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 and enable them to make known the savour of 
 his name in every place. 
 
 If your love to your ministers be consistent, 
 you will love them for their work's sake. You 
 will regard them as " ambassadors for Christ," 
 as " stewards of the mysteries of God." So far 
 as character is concerned, you will give supe- 
 rior respect to superior excellence : without 
 doing injustice to any, you will naturally cherish 
 the highest regard toward those who manifest 
 the most fervent piety, and the most active 
 zeal. In thus yielding to the influence of moral 
 worth, you will act justly and wisely. And 
 while you will overlook minor defects, when 
 they are outnumbered and outshone by the 
 sterling qualities of real religion, you will not 
 give your commendation and esteem to those 
 whose defects are as prominent as their ex- 
 cellences. It will not be because a minister 
 panders to certain prejudices, or because he is 
 a good table companion, or a clever teller of 
 anecdotes, that you will give him your regard ; 
 neither will you be induced to believe that 
 singularity of dress, or slovenliness of appear- 
 ance, or any other eccentricity, is the least 
 proof of superior wisdom. You will love him 
 most for his deep piety, for his manifest pos- 
 session of the mind of Christ, and for his entire 
 devotedness to the service of God. 
 
 If your love to your ministers be sincere, 
 you will exert your ability and your influence 
 toward securing for them a liberal support. 
 Awful indeed is the condemnation of him who
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 201 
 
 enters the ministry for the sake of filthy lucre : 
 such instances among Methodists are, I firmly 
 believe, extremely rare. That those who are 
 exclusively employed in preaching the gospel 
 are entitled to " live by the gospel," is, I think, 
 clearly affirmed in the New Testament. There 
 are, however, some who seem to suppose that 
 the means by which ministers are to live, can 
 hardly be too limited ; and there are others who 
 seem to think that the allowance is abundant, 
 if, with very strict economy, it be just sufficient 
 to procure food and clothing. It should be re- 
 membered that if a minister is not liable to the 
 losses of trade, neither has he the opportunity 
 of accumulating its gains. And if his previous 
 situation gave no promise of worldly advance- 
 ment, yet, if he possess qualifications for the 
 ministry, and be called upon to consecrate them 
 to the service of the church, he is justly entitled 
 to whatever temporal advantages his change 
 of occupation may confer. As for improper 
 inducements being held out, and improper mo- 
 tives being encouraged, it is obvious that these 
 are evils which cannot be prevented by a low 
 salary, unless it be lower than the lowest 
 amount of wages received by the mechanic or 
 the day-labourer ; as whatever is above this, 
 may become a temptation to numbers. Some 
 would advocate the practice of giving a scanty 
 salary to ministers, in order to keep them Hum- 
 ble ; forgetting that a light purse is often pos- 
 sessed by a proud spirit. Moreover, covetous- 
 ness is as great a sin as pride ; and I know of
 
 202 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 nothing more likely to generate this odious 
 vice, than that excessive carefulness which is 
 rendered necessary by inadequate pecuniary 
 resources. The truth is, the minister who will 
 not be humble, and spiritual, and zealous, un- 
 less he be made constantly to feel the incon- 
 veniences of poverty, is not sincere, and there- 
 fore not fit for his office. 
 
 I ground the claim of liberal support for 
 ministers, not only on New Testament author- 
 ity, but on the following facts : A minister has 
 none of the opportunities of trade ; he has 
 nevertheless to keep up a respectable appear- 
 ance : his people require this. He must enable 
 his children to earn their livelihood, by prepar- 
 ing them for some occupation. If he must 
 preach so as to meet the demands of the pre- 
 sent day, he must read; and if he is to read, 
 he must have books ; and books cannot be had 
 without money. The books in a minister's 
 library should not be merely such as may be 
 read through and then laid aside ; they should 
 chiefly consist of works of reference, and these 
 are the most expensive. And, lastly, he ought 
 to have the power of exemplifying the spirit of 
 Christianity by acts of private benevolence, 
 and by subscriptions to religious and charit- 
 able institutions. If a scanty salary deprives 
 him of the means of doing much evil, it also 
 deprives him of the means of doing much good. 
 Let your example, therefore, evince a liberal 
 spirit in the support of your ministers, and let 
 your influence be exerted to promote it in
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS 203 
 
 others. You may not be able to do much, in 
 your own estimation ; but if you do what you 
 can, you will do much in the estimation of God. 
 In fixing the amount of your contributions to 
 the cause of religion and of social happiness, com- 
 pare your necessities with your resources, at the 
 same time keeping in view your accountability to 
 God. Supposing you to possess the ability, 
 you are bound to give your cheerful support, 
 not only to your ministers, but to the various 
 funds and institutions of Methodism. Some of 
 these are designed to give increased efficiency 
 to the gospel at home ; and others, to extend 
 its influence and multiply its converts abroad. 
 You will be acting like a wise and faithful 
 steward, if you acquaint yourself with the 
 respective claims of these institutions ; and if 
 you have sufficient to spare for distribution, you 
 will do well to divide your donations among 
 them in such proportions as an enlightened 
 judgment may dictate. The amount of pecu- 
 niary support given to the cause of religion 
 should not depend on caprices and impulses, 
 but should be the result of conscientious con- 
 viction, yea, I will venture to say, of cool and 
 deliberate calculation. In other words, a sense 
 of duty should be the governing principle. 
 Our duty is proportioned to the extent of our 
 resources, and the demands upon them ; and if 
 God is prospering you in business, or has 
 given you affluence without labouring for its 
 acquisition, you are bound in principle, in grati- 
 tude, and in justice, to contribute much, yea,
 
 204 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 very much to the cause of Christianity. I need 
 not request you to read Harris's " Mammon," 
 and Treffry on " Covetousness." Consider the 
 station you occupy in the sight of God, as a 
 possessor of property. Be it little or be it 
 much, it is a talent committed to your trust ; 
 and for the use of which a strict account must 
 be given. You will have to give an account 
 of the management of your income : if it be 
 large, it is equally criminal to squander it by 
 improvidence, or to hoard it in the spirit of 
 avarice. If it be small, and yet not so small 
 but something might be spared out of it for re- 
 ligion, were prudence and economy exercised, 
 God will expect you to spare that " something." 
 In considering these matters, believe in the 
 reality of a judgment to come ; and ask your- 
 self in what light the wealth of this world will 
 be viewed then, and whether you will then 
 regret any act of self-denial to which you may 
 now submit, that you may be able more liber- 
 ally to support the cause of God. This is too 
 seldom regarded as a duty. I know an ex- 
 cellent individual, whose wealth is consider- 
 able, and whose active, consistent benevolence, 
 is beyond all praise. Many years ago, during 
 a season of commercial distress, he one day 
 announced to his family that, in consequence 
 of the depression in trade, and the very severe 
 losses which his firm had sustained, their 
 household and personal expenses would pro- 
 bably have to be subjected to considerable re- 
 striction : " But," said he, " we will not begin
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 205 
 
 our economy by lessening our subscriptions 
 and donations to the cause of God : other de- 
 partments shall first undergo reduction, and 
 every practicable means shall be adopted of 
 preventing the necessity of making any deduc- 
 tions from the claims of Christian benevolence." 
 What a splendid instance was this of the power 
 of Christian principle ! How many, in similar 
 circumstances, would have deemed it right to 
 reverse the order of proceeding ! 
 
 May I venture affectionately to suggest to 
 those of my readers who have to toil for their 
 daily bread, that you probably owe much to re- 
 ligion for the improvement which it has effect- 
 ed in your temporal circumstances. Previous- 
 ly to your conversion, your earnings were per- 
 haps spent in the haunts of profligacy : religion 
 has made you temperate, prudent, industrious, 
 and honest. You can now secure for your- 
 selves and families, peaceful homes and many 
 comforts. For these advantages you are in- 
 debted to religion : has it not, therefore, power- 
 ful claims on your gratitude ? And ought there 
 to be, on your part, a niggardly, reluctant spirit, 
 in contributing to the support of those institu- 
 tions with which, as a Methodist, you are iden- 
 tified ? An individual who is not wealthy, who 
 " works for his living," was not long since 
 brought to the enjoyment of gospel blessings : 
 he began to meet in class ; he presented six- 
 pence as his first weekly donation ; his leader, 
 who is a minister, thought it right to intimate 
 to him, that from brethren in his station, so
 
 206 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 large a weekly payment was neither usual nor 
 expected. He replied to the following effect : 
 " When I served the devil, his service cost 
 me many sixpences a week : now I am in the 
 service of Christ, I save all these sixpences 5 
 and I think, sir, I ought to spare at least one 
 of them for my Master." 
 
 Endeavour to be useful. Your object in be- 
 coming a member of a Methodist society is 
 first, to secure your own spiritual advancement ; 
 but this is not all. By uniting yourself with 
 the church you have solemnly consecrated 
 yourself to the service of Christ ; you have 
 vowed to be his entirely, and for ever. The 
 weighty obligations you have deliberately taken 
 upon yourself, cannot be fulfilled, unless you 
 labour to the utmost in promoting the interests 
 of that cause to which you are attached. One 
 great design of church membership is, by the 
 exciting and sympathetic influence of combina- 
 tion, to engage the people of God in the active 
 exertions of Christian zeal. This object Metho- 
 dism is peculiarly adapted to realize. Its ranks 
 of travelling and local preachers, leaders, 
 stewards, Sunday-school teachers, and tract 
 distributors, furnish departments wherein each 
 may find an appropriate sphere of usefulness. 
 Whoever joins a Methodist society with the 
 impression that he has nothing to do but to at- 
 tend to his own salvation, has most strangely 
 mistaken the character of Methodism, and has 
 imbibed strangely contracted views of Chris- 
 tian obligation. Every one who is a moral
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 207 
 
 agent has power to do good. As a Methodist, 
 as a Christian, you must exercise this power, 
 you must work for God. To imagine that 
 religion consists simply in observing the means 
 of grace, and quietly pursuing your ordinary 
 employment during the intervals, is to suppose 
 the religion of Christ to be a system of mere 
 selfishness : whereas it is a system of enlarged, 
 unbounded benevolence. It is a revelation of 
 mercy ; and those who receive it, not only par- 
 take of the blessings of mercy, but are also 
 rendered merciful. It infuses into their hearts 
 its own divine tenderness ; it awakens, refines, 
 and expands their sympathies, stretching them 
 to scenes and objects that are commensurate 
 with the world's habitable surface, and prompt- 
 ing them to aim at results which will be durable 
 as eternity. 
 
 If you neither purpose, nor desire to be 
 actively useful, you have not received the 
 spirit of Christ. You have yet to seek your 
 own conversion ; but if you have been brought 
 under the power of the gospel, one of its first 
 effects has been to fill you with an ardent long- 
 ing for the salvation of a lost world. You 
 think that if you could, you would gladly be in- 
 strumental in promoting this glorious object. 
 Compared with the magnitude of that object, 
 you may be able to do but little toward its ac- 
 complishment ; but, compared with your re- 
 sources, your influence, and the limited period 
 of your earthly existence, you may do much. 
 You may be the means of converting not one
 
 208 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 soul only, but many souls ; and each of these 
 may be instrumental in saving others ; and thus 
 you may proceed, calculating the successive 
 results of a rightly directed moral influence, until 
 imagination is bewildered and overpowered with 
 the glory of the prospect. This is not dream- 
 ing. It is the sober conception of what is pos- 
 sible ; yea, certain, if, yes, if you are faithful. 
 Be faithful, then. Impress yourself deeply with 
 the obligations you are under to endeavour to 
 be useful in the church of God. Carry about 
 with you the conviction of your solemn respon- 
 sibility in this respect. Let this conviction 
 have an abiding, operative influence. Act upon 
 its suggestions ; obey its dictates ; constantly 
 believe that it is within your power, and that 
 it is therefore your duty, to be useful. You 
 need not be reminded that usefulness does not 
 depend upon wealth, or talents, or eminence of 
 station. A professing Christian may have all 
 these, and yet not be useful. You may have 
 none of them, and yet be the means of doing 
 immense good. Your usefulness depends upon 
 your piety. Eminent usefulness is always as- 
 sociated with eminent piety. Labour, then, 
 after high attainments in personal holiness. 
 Live by faith on the Son of God. Love God 
 with all your heart. Love every human being 
 as you love yourself. Continue instant in pray- 
 er. Be watchful. Be thankful. Walk with 
 God. Walk in the Spirit. 
 
 While you diligently cultivate personal re- 
 ligion, endeavour, by habits cf reading, obser-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 209 
 
 vation, and reflection, to acquire every subor- 
 dinate, but requisite, qualification for usefulness 
 Ignorance of the right modes of doing good 
 often frustrates the best intentions ; and indis- 
 cretion frequently neutralizes the efforts of an 
 ardent zeal. We are all liable to run into ex- 
 tremes. Our promptitude is apt to degenerate 
 into rashness ; our deliberation into indecision ; 
 and our cautiousness into cowardice. One way 
 of preventing these evils is to study our own 
 hearts, to ascertain our own infirmities, to cul- 
 tivate the virtues in which we are deficient, and 
 to rectify those peculiarities which may weaken 
 our moral influence. We must also study man. 
 We must observe the great principles of human 
 nature as they are developed in the varieties 
 of the human character. We must study the 
 best means of gaining access to the mind, 
 marking particularly those modes of address, 
 and that kind of deportment, by which attention 
 is most easily secured, by which the heart is 
 most powerfully affected, and the judgment 
 most thoroughly convinced. We must read, 
 and the course of our reading must comprise 
 such books as are calculated to enlighten our 
 understandings, to expand our views, and to 
 invigorate our intellectual powers. Nor are 
 large books the only books which are capable 
 of conferring these important benefits. There 
 are many which are comparatively small and 
 cheap, which contain lucid and Scriptural state- 
 ments of Christian doctrine, experience, and 
 duty. To give a catalogue of all the works 
 14
 
 210 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 that may be worth reading, would far exceed 
 my limits. Suffice it to say, that the practical 
 writings of the old divines are, generally, the 
 richest in thought and in unction. Select 
 portions from the works of Howe, Baxter, 
 Charnock, Hopkins, and Bates, may be regard- 
 ed as invaluable treasures of truth and wisdom, 
 and may be read with great advantage. There 
 are also some modern works which possess the 
 characteristics of sterling excellence. Such are 
 Foster's Essays, particularly the one on " De- 
 cision of Character." The Rev. J. A. James's 
 " Christian Professor" contains some most 
 pointed and seasonable admonitions on Chris- 
 tian consistency and obligation. " The Chris- 
 tian Father's Present to his Children," by the 
 same excellent author, should be read by every 
 young person in the middle class of society. 
 Cotton Mather's " Essays on doing Good," is 
 an admirable and heart-stirring little volume, 
 and is worthy of a frequent perusal. There is 
 one little book that I wish could be read by 
 every young Christian, " The Life of Harlan 
 Page," published by the Religious Tract So- 
 ciety.* He was not a minister; he was in 
 humble circumstances ; he had to labour for 
 his daily bread, and died at the early age of 
 forty-three ; t yet such was his love to souls, 
 such his zeal for their salvation, that it was 
 matter of ascertained fact, that he had been in- 
 
 * In addition to the works here mentioned we would 
 strongly recommend the publications of the Book Concern 
 in this country. Am. Ed.
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 211 
 
 strumental in bringing not less than one hun- 
 dred of his fellow-creatures to the knowledge 
 of the truth. O that the spirit of Harlan Page 
 may fill the hearts both of ministers and mem- 
 bers in every Christian denomination ! On the 
 subject of reading, it falls not within my pro- 
 vince to give further advice ; only to say, that 
 if you have opportunity, you will give your at- 
 tention to history, especially church history. 
 Historical records exhibit man in all the depths 
 of his depravity, and possess a far more thrill- 
 ing interest than all the novels that were ever 
 spawned upon the public : shun them as you 
 would poison. However fascinating some of 
 them may be in the perusal, two effects they 
 will most certainly produce : they will unfit 
 you for solid and useful reading, and will give 
 you a disrelish for the active duties of life. 
 They set the imagination afloat ; and enervate 
 the mental powers : in short, neither intellect- 
 ual nor spiritual energy can be maintained by 
 those who yield to the temptation of novel- 
 reading. 
 
 If you require guidance in the choice of 
 books, one of your ministers, or some judicious 
 friend, will be able and willing to direct you. 
 Read and digest good books ; and you will 
 gain that knowledge, and manifest that general 
 improvement, which will fit you for any depart- 
 ment of usefulness to which the church may 
 call you. And when the church does call you, 
 do not evince an affected or needless reluctance 
 to obey the call. To decline for the sake of
 
 212 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 receiving a second and more pressing invitation 
 is insufferable. And if you really think your- 
 self incompetent to perform the duties of an 
 office, you should remember that the church is 
 the proper judge on that point, and not you. 
 At all events, it is your duty to try to serve the 
 church in the department allotted to you ; and 
 if, after a fair trial, your incapability is manifest, 
 you can then with honour relinquish the en- 
 gagement. At the same time, check every 
 feeling of eagerness for office and power : be 
 not envious, be not disappointed, if others are 
 preferred before you. In these matters, conform 
 strictly to the discipline of the connection. 
 Adopt no expedients, exert no influence, to 
 secure your appointment to a more prominent 
 station. In all these movements, there is a 
 special providence, which will safely guide 
 you, if you only seek and obey its directions. 
 
 Whatever department you undertake, enter 
 upon it with a single eye to the glory of God, 
 and in humble dependance on his blessing. 
 Acquaint yourself thoroughly with the duties of 
 the office which you may be called upon to 
 sustain. Prepare yourself for difficulties and 
 discouragements, and be determined steadily to 
 persevere in the course of your duty. Aim at 
 success ; pray for it, and earnestly seek the 
 wisdom, fortitude, and love, necessary to make 
 you an active and sufficient labourer in the 
 vineyard of Christ. If, for instance, you be- 
 come a sabbath-school teacher, fail not to con- 
 verse with the children of your class on the
 
 ADMONlfORV COUNSELS. 213 
 
 subject of religion ; seek and pray for their 
 conversion. Should you be a tract distributor, 
 be not satisfied with merely exchanging your 
 tracts, but, wherever it is practicable, inquire 
 into the spiritual state of the people ; and, with 
 affection and earnestness, address to them such 
 exhortations as will be suited to their circum- 
 stances and character. 
 
 It is possible that your situation in life may 
 be such as to incapacitate you for undertaking 
 any of the offices to which I have thus advert- 
 ed. You are not, however, on this account to 
 conclude that you must of necessity be useless, 
 or that you are exempted from the obligations 
 of endeavouring to be useful. You may do 
 much toward preserving the purity of the 
 church. When you observe, on the part of 
 any of your fellow-members, a neglect of the 
 social ordinances, you may by timely inquiry 
 and expostulation induce a return to duty. If 
 you know of one who has been " overtaken in 
 a fault," it will be obligatory upon you to en- 
 deavour to " restore such a one in the spirit 
 of meekness." By acting wisely and faithfully 
 in such a case, you may save a soul from ruin, 
 and the church from disgrace. If you are 
 aware of any opinions or feelings becoming 
 prevalent in the church, which are either in- 
 consistent with sound doctrine, or which are 
 inimical to its interests, by conveying early in- 
 telligence to the superintendent,* the evil may 
 
 * The same as preacher in charge in this country. - 
 Am. Ed.
 
 214 ADMOMTUKV COUNSELS. 
 
 be removed without any serious difficulty. At 
 the same time, meddle not with the private 
 concerns of others : " be not a busybody in 
 other men's matters." 
 
 If, during public worship, a stranger should 
 enter, and you should be sufficiently near, 
 either admit him into your seat, or direct him 
 to another. Attentions of this nature, rendered 
 with an evidently kindly feeling, make a favour- 
 able impression, and secure for the stranger 
 the privilege of hearing the whole or a part of 
 a gospel sermon. Observe those hearers who 
 are not members, and who occupy seats con- 
 tiguous to your own : without having your own 
 mind distracted, you may perceive whether 
 they are impressed under the word. Take ad- 
 vantage of those impressions. Seize the oppor- 
 tunity of urging them to be decided. Endea- 
 vour to engage them to accompany you to the 
 class meeting ; and, indeed, whatever indica- 
 tions they may give, it will be your duty, 
 respectfully, prudently, and affectionately to 
 propose those inquiries to them, which may 
 enable you to ascertain their spiritual state, 
 and to give them suitable admonitions. Many 
 who attend a Methodist ministry would be glad 
 to have such inquiries addressed to them ; and 
 wait only for a friendly invitation to induce 
 them to join the society ; and many, it is to be 
 feared, from the want of such encouragement, 
 are lost to the church, and, perhaps, for ever 
 lost. A cordial welcome given to a stranger 
 on his first appearance at your class meeting,
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 215 
 
 will not be without its good effect. Whatever 
 may tend to win the attachment, and to strength- 
 en the determinations, of candidates for mem- 
 bership, is of real importance, however appa- 
 rently trifling. 
 
 Embrace every favourable opportunity of 
 urging the claims of the gospel on those who 
 are unconverted. If all religious professors 
 fulfilled their obligations in this respect, the 
 cause of truth and righteousness would speed- 
 ily become triumphant. If we had boldness, 
 fidelity, and compassion enough to bear our 
 direct, constant, and honest testimony against 
 sin, sinners would be unable to maintain their 
 ground ; they would be overborne by the im- 
 mense moral power which would act upon them. 
 Sin is rampant, because it is allowed to go un- 
 reproved. Sinners walk boldly and easily in 
 the way to destruction, because the people of 
 God, in their individual capacity, do not place 
 before them any formidable obstruction. A 
 mere profession is not sufficient ; the impeni- 
 tent are so accustomed to its existence, that 
 they can behold it without self-reproach : nor 
 is the deportment and spirit of many professors 
 calculated to impress the ungodly with the fact, 
 that there is a very obvious and a very alarm- 
 ing contrast between them and the real Chris- 
 tian. But unless we are more active, more 
 courageous, and more undisguised, in our oppo- 
 sition to sin, its dominion will never be over- 
 thrown. The melancholy truth, I fear, is, that 
 we, many of us, have not that full experience
 
 216 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 of the power of the gospel, which would enable 
 us on all fit occasions to declare, that we are 
 " not ashamed" of it. We hesitate, we shrink, 
 when the terrors of hell and the glories of hea- 
 ven urge us to action : instead of fighting with 
 the bravery of valiant soldiers of the cross, we 
 flee from our duty with the timidity of captive 
 slaves. We often dare not reprove sin, because 
 we are conscious of our own inconsistencies : 
 we expect, perhaps, in reply to our admonitions, 
 to be taunted with our frivolity ; or, what is 
 worse, our worldliness, our moroseness, our 
 petulance, our pride. We must have that mea- 
 sure of the spirit of Christ which will bring 
 into maturity and development the beauties of 
 holiness, so that our conduct may, of itself, be 
 a perpetual and forcible reproof to the wicked, 
 and give additional effect to our verbal admoni- 
 tions. The fear of man must be superseded 
 by the love of souls. The dread of ridicule or 
 of insult must be displaced by ardent zeal for 
 God, and an intense desire to snatch sinners 
 from everlasting burnings. 
 
 Again, then, let me exhort you to embrace 
 every favourable opportunity of warning, ad- 
 monishing, and beseeching the ungodly to flee 
 from the wrath to come. Let this sacred duty 
 be performed faithfully, discreetly, and affec- 
 tionately, and God will bless you in it. If you 
 thus endeavour to water others, you will be 
 abundantly watered. Persist in your exertions. 
 Let not the first injunction of silence, nor the 
 second, drive you from your purpose ; let not
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 217 
 
 many repulses induce you to discontinue your 
 efforts. A young woman, on being converted 
 to God, directed her special attention to two 
 of her associates, who worked in the same fac- 
 tory : they resisted, they scorned her expostu- 
 lations. One day, as the work-people were 
 leaving the factory, she induced her two friends 
 to remain ; and conducting them into a room, 
 she locked the door ; and telling them that she 
 felt as though she could not leave that place 
 until their hearts were subdued, she entreated 
 them to join her in prayer : with simplicity and 
 fervour she implored the divine mercy on behalf 
 of her two companions. They were both, I 
 believe, softened ; but one was so powerfully 
 affected, that she gave herself fully to the Lord, 
 and joined an Independent church ; from the 
 respected minister of which I received this 
 statement. Another young female, a member 
 of the same society as the one of whose zeal I 
 have just given an instance, on being brought 
 to the enjoyment of religion, was filled with 
 tender anxiety for the salvation of her father : 
 he had gained a dreadful notoriety for his 
 wickedness ; and his daughter's piety became, 
 of course, the object of his bitter persecution. 
 Her remonstrances were in vain. One day, as 
 he was passing the door of his daughter's room, 
 he overheard a voice ; he listened ; it was the 
 voice of Mary praying, in tones of agonizing 
 earnestness, for the conversion of her father. 
 The aged sinner was disarmed, conquered. 
 He accompanied his daughter to the class,
 
 XJ18 ADMONITORY COUMSKLS. 
 
 found peace, was made holy and happy, and, 
 by the change wrought in him, he became an 
 astonishment to his neighbourhood, but most of 
 all an astonishment to himself. Have you no 
 relative, no fellow-servant, no neighbour, no 
 friend, who is yet unsaved, to whom you can 
 address an occasional word of admonition ? Are 
 there none whom you can prevail upon to go 
 with you, if not to the class, at least to the 
 preaching of the gospel ? Are there none to 
 whom you can recommend the perusal of a 
 book unfolding the plan of salvation, or to 
 whom you can write a letter of friendly coun- 
 sel, and of pious admonition ? Let the answers 
 which these questions must receive, determine 
 your future conduct. 
 
 In all the relations and circumstances of life 
 endeavour to maintain uniform consistency of cha- 
 racter. There is one point of consistency which 
 I must not forget to urge. You are possibly un- 
 married, and at present free from any matrimo- 
 nial engagement : 'whenever you may form that 
 engagement, I solemnly charge you to " marry 
 only in the Lord" O, what miseries have been 
 caused, what souls have been lost, by disre- 
 garding this divine permission ! Your purpose 
 is to reach the kingdom of heaven : will you 
 form so intimate a union with one who is pro- 
 ceeding rapidly to hell ? Will you give your 
 affections to one from whom you must be eter- 
 nally separated on that day when the destiny 
 of every human being will be sealed for ever ? 
 In working out your salvation, you require all
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 219 
 
 the aid which can possibly be obtained : will 
 you place yourself under the influence of one 
 whose example will never stimulate, whose 
 counsels will never encourage you ; who can 
 never sympathize with you in your spiritual 
 conflicts, and who, in the hour of affliction, carl 
 administer no religious consolation ? 
 
 You probably think that if you should marry 
 one not decidedly pious, your prayers and 
 exhortations after marriage will complete the 
 work, which, perhaps, in reality, is not even 
 begun. Many have thought thus, and disap- 
 pointment has been their portion ; and they 
 have become the victims of their own folly. 
 Moreover, where there is no promise of a 
 blessing, which is the case here, it is presump- 
 tion to expect one. Besides, to act thus, is to 
 " do evil that good may come ;" and of those 
 who adopt this principle, the apostle says that 
 " their condemnation is just." The volume of 
 inspiration declares that " a prudent wife is 
 from the Lord ;" so also is " a prudent husband." 
 Let the young unmarried members of Christian 
 societies believe this divine declaration. Let 
 them recognise the agency of providence in 
 this momentous affair. Let them remember, 
 that their happiness, their usefulness in this 
 life, and in all probability their eternal salva- 
 tion, depend upon the choice they make. Let 
 them remember, that if they act with delibera- 
 tion, if they exercise sound judgment, and offer 
 up fervent prayer to God, leaving the matter in 
 his hands, he will give them a partner who will
 
 220 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 be to them a blessing on earth, and with whom 
 they will share the bliss of heaven. It will not 
 be improper for you to pray that your affections 
 may never be fixed on one, to marry whom 
 would be rebellion against God. Let every 
 pious young man pause, and consider, and in- 
 quire, and repeatedly and earnestly implore the 
 interposition and guidance of God, before he 
 gives the slightest intimation of his regard to 
 any young female. And let every pious female 
 adopt the same course before she accepts the 
 proposals of even a pious young man. If in 
 this matter the word of God were only believed 
 and obeyed, every union would be crowned with 
 his blessing, and the result would be as large a 
 share of felicity as can be realized in this vale 
 of tears. Much more might be said on this 
 subject, but it is needless. I may, however, 
 be allowed to say, that in addition to fervent 
 piety, good temper, good sense, with habits of 
 order, cleanliness, industry, and economy, are 
 in every station essential to domestic comfort. 
 Let your whole deportment evince the prac- 
 tical influence of the gospel. Do you reside 
 at home, and are your relatives pious ? Let 
 them rejoice in your evidently growing con- 
 formity to the mind of Christ. Are they un- 
 converted ? Let them see in you a firm and 
 consistent profession of godliness, and witness 
 in you the beauty, the excellence of religion. 
 Assume no superiority. Avoid giving unne- 
 cessary reproof: avoid sternness when its ad- 
 ministration is necessary. Adopt not the Ian-
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 221 
 
 guage of unseemly dictation. Let it be mani- 
 fest to all that religion renders you both cir- 
 cumspect and happy ; that it fills you with 
 contentment, and clothes you with humility. 
 Let your irreligious relatives see that your con- 
 version, instead of alienating you from them, 
 has strengthened your affection toward them ; 
 that it has increased the tenderness of your 
 sympathies, and made your kindness more 
 cheerful, more disinterested, and more unre- 
 mitting. Thus will your conduct be a living 
 comment on the gospel, and in all probability 
 they will be " won by your holy conversation." 
 Are you residing with strangers, and filling 
 the situation of a domestic ? O think how 
 much religion may be honoured by your strict 
 obedience to New Testament precepts ! Be 
 scrupulously faithful in the performance of the 
 duties of your station. Make this a part of 
 your religion. Endeavour to be as perfect as 
 possible in the department which is assigned to 
 you. Observe the habits, tastes, and regula- 
 tions of the family, and so far as they are not 
 sinful, act in accordance with them, so that 
 your employers may see that you study their 
 wishes and their comfort. Be attentive to 
 directions when they are given ; thoroughly 
 understand them, and implicitly follow them. 
 Let it be your determination, as far as you are 
 concerned, to wipe away the aspersion which 
 we hear so frequently cast upon religious do- 
 mestics. Give not that time to devotional ex- 
 ercises which justly belongs to your employers.
 
 222 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 Be as diligent in fulfilling their orders when 
 they are absent as you would when they are 
 present. Claim no unreasonable privileges. 
 Bear reproof with meekness, " not answering 
 again." Sustain trials with patience. In short, 
 let those with whom you live see how good- 
 tempered, how teachable, how industrious, and 
 how faithful religion can make you. 
 
 Are you an apprentice ? Make God your 
 friend, and Christ your pattern. Imbibe large- 
 ly of the spirit of the gospel, making its precepts 
 the rule of your life. Guard against selfish- 
 ness, indolence, and pride ; avoid every thing in 
 your conduct which would bring religion into 
 contempt. In all things be strictly truthful and 
 rigidly honest. Be sober-minded ; be clothed 
 with humility. Let not the influence of others 
 betray you either into levity or ill-temper ; 
 neither allow it to induce you for a moment to 
 act inconsistently with your Christian profes- 
 sion. Be respectful toward your employers, 
 and obey their commands with cheerful prompt- 
 itude. Try to excel in your occupation ; make 
 it your study ; endeavour to acquire a thorough 
 knowledge of it, and to secure all the lawful 
 means and qualifications which are essential to 
 success. It brings no honour to religion when 
 a Christian professor is clever and apt in every 
 thing but his own trade. When the time is 
 your own, you are at liberty to employ it in 
 reading, meditation, and prayer ; but when your 
 business demands your attention, devote your- 
 self lo its duties actively and heartily ; consider
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSEIS. 223 
 
 it as a service rendered to God, and as the fulfil- 
 ment of the course which his providence has 
 allotted to you. Remember no situation is free 
 from difficulties and trials ; and when you ex- 
 perience them, let the all-sufficiency of divine 
 grace be made manifest. Toward your fellow- 
 apprentices cultivate Christian kindness and 
 affection ; let your deportment toward them be 
 such as will enable you with propriety and with 
 confidence to exhort them to seek salvation. 
 Whatever reproaches, whatever disadvantages 
 it may bring upon you, steadfastly refuse com- 
 pliance with all customs and rules which either 
 lead to intemperance, or give any sanction to 
 vice. Commit yourself and your ways unto 
 the Lord, and he will continually guide and 
 bless you. 
 
 Are you at the head of a household ? Let 
 all the obligations of so important a situation 
 be faithfully discharged. It is both lamentable 
 and humbling that so many of the children of 
 professing Christians should grow up to man- 
 hood without evincing even a respect for reli- 
 gion: while some of these cases may not be 
 attributable to any parental neglect, yet the 
 majority of them are doubtless the fruits of it. 
 Unless parents make the conversion of their 
 children an object of deep interest and of dili- 
 gent effort, they will never be the instruments 
 of its accomplishment. Nor will parental dis- 
 cipline avail unless the children see that it is 
 connected with the manifestations of Christian 
 excellence. This discipline must consist of
 
 224 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 the combined influence of prayer, precept, and 
 example. When religion is affectionately in- 
 culcated, and beautifully exhibited, it will make 
 impressions which cannot die, and excite 
 emotions which will never be forgotten. As 
 so many valuable works are extant on parental 
 duties, I need not enlarge on the subject. My 
 principal object is to impress upon you the great 
 importance of domestic obligations. Metho- 
 dists have been reproached for the neglect of 
 them. I hope this reproach is, to a great ex- 
 tent, unmerited ; nevertheless, in a community, 
 inviting attendance to so many social ordinan- 
 ces, there is danger of overlooking the duties 
 which belong to home ; and when claims are 
 multifarious, we must endeavour, in the fear of 
 God, so to adjust them as to assign to each 
 duty its proper place, and to perform it in its 
 proper season. 
 
 As a Christian, and as a Methodist, you will 
 be punctual in the observance of family prayer; 
 and let me recommend you always to connect 
 with it the reading of a portion of Scripture. 
 Endeavour also to enforce those regulations 
 which will secure the blessings of a peaceful 
 and well-ordered household. In short, exercise 
 your authority firmly, but affectionately, and it 
 will command respect and ensure obedience ; 
 labour to promote the spiritual welfare of every 
 member of your family, and you will experience 
 the truth of that solemn and impressive decla- 
 ration, that while " the curse of th& Lord is in 
 the house of the wicked, he blesseth the habit-
 
 ADMONITORV COUNSELS. 225 
 
 ation of the just." Let me earnestly recom- 
 mend to you the purchase and frequent perusal 
 of that admirable work, James's " Family 
 Monitor." 
 
 In every circumstance of life, and in your 
 intercourse with the world, invariably maintain 
 the strictest integrity. Let all your conduct to 
 your fellow-men be governed by the dictates of 
 sincerity and candour. While common sense 
 forbids that you should make any unnecessary 
 disclosure of your affairs, religion requires that 
 you should shun the artifices of deception and 
 cunning, and that you should possess that 
 frankness of disposition and transparency of 
 character which will render the purity of your 
 motives unquestionable, and the truth of your 
 statements superior to suspicion. In all trad- 
 ing transactions be scrupulously honest. Chris- 
 tianity requires this, and even more : it requires 
 that you should not only be honest, but honour- 
 able, avoiding that mean, grasping, selfish spirit, 
 which, if it can be indulged without cheating, 
 cannot exist in a professor of godliness with- 
 out bringing both himself and religion into 
 contempt. Let all who deal with you, feel that 
 they are safe in your hands, and discover satis- 
 factory reason for reposing entire confidence in 
 you. Take no advantage of the ignorance of 
 others. Let no false representations be given, 
 nor any false impressions made. Never with- 
 hold the truth when justice to others requires 
 you to state it, although the statement may be 
 detrimental to your own interest. Be strictly 
 15
 
 22(5 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 punctual in your payments. Let no debts re- 
 main uncancelled after they are due. Guard 
 against rash and extensive speculation. It is 
 better to be contented with moderate but 
 tolerably certain profits, than to be involved in 
 the risk of reducing yourself and your family to 
 beggary. That your credit may be preserved, 
 be careful to proportion your personal and your 
 household expenditure to your income. These 
 are matters, in reference to which no occasion 
 should be given to the enemies of the Lord to 
 blaspheme : if we are regardless of the con- 
 siderations of prudence and equity, our religious 
 profession will be condemned by the world as 
 a disgusting mockery. The world's frown may 
 be borne ; but the frown of God who can bear? 
 To treat the claims of creditors with indiffer- 
 ence, or to incur debts which we know we are 
 not likely to discharge, evinces not only an 
 utter destitution of religious principle, but the 
 possession of a heart full of baseness and 
 hypocrisy. Would to God that the accusations 
 of dishonesty, which the world often applies to 
 religious professors generally, were altogether 
 false. Let not your conduct give occasion for 
 them. Take the gospel for your standard of 
 Christian consistency and integrity ; act in con- 
 formity with its precepts, and let the spirit of 
 those precepts govern all your proceedings. 
 
 Manifest Christian candour and kindness 
 toward other communities, toward all who 
 hold Christ crucified as their living Head. 
 Your own connection has undoubtedly the first
 
 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 227 
 
 claim on your attachment and support ; but if 
 you have acquired enlarged views of divine 
 truth and a correct knowledge of human nature, 
 you will not withhold from other sections of 
 the church the respect that is due to them, nor 
 depreciate the excellences they possess : you 
 will, on the contrary, rejoice that the gospel is 
 preached in its purity by ministers of other de- 
 nominations ; and according to your ability, 
 you will aid their institutions, and wish them 
 success in the name of the Lord. Cultivate 
 cordial brotherly affection toward all the fol- 
 lowers of Christ, by whatever name they may 
 be designated. Banish every spark of bigotry 
 from your bosom. Avoid disputes on subordi- 
 nate questions of discipline, and on non-essen- 
 tial points of doctrine. Such disputes only 
 engender animosity and widen the divisions 
 which already exist. And real Christians can 
 surely find topics of interest on which they 
 agree, arid on which they may converse with 
 mutual satisfaction and advantage. Let me 
 also warn you never to proselyte from other 
 churches, nor attempt to create dissatisfaction 
 in the minds of those who are comfortably 
 united with some other evangelical commu- 
 nity. If you can reclaim those who are de- 
 luded by soul-destroying errors, do so ; and if 
 you fulfil your obligations in seeking the salva- 
 tion of the lost, you will have sufficient employ- 
 ment, without needlessly distracting the minds 
 of Christ's followers. 
 
 And now, my dear reader, " I commend you
 
 228 ADMONITORY COUNSELS. 
 
 to God and the word of his grace." In spite 
 of many interruptions, in the midst of many 
 painful domestic afflictions, I have at length 
 arrived at the conclusion of a work on which 
 my heart has long been fixed. Has the perusal 
 of this little book been the means of establish- 
 ing you in the faith, and of rendering you more 
 happy, more zealous, and more holy ? If such 
 have been the results, my aim is, in part at 
 least, accomplished. My last exhortation is, 
 Press forward, persevere unto the end ; " be 
 steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in 
 the work of the Lord." Your trials may be 
 numerous and severe ; your duties may be 
 arduous, and your means of improvement 
 scanty ; but if you are prayerful, watchful, and 
 believing, you will realize the truth of the Sa- 
 viour's promises, and the power of the Saviour's 
 grace. As an incitement to continuance of 
 effort, think of the contrast which exists be- 
 tween your course and that of the ungodly. 
 While theirs is a downward progress in sin, 
 and a constant accumulation of misery, yours 
 is an advancement in holiness, and a pathway 
 of pleasantness and peace. While they walk 
 in darkness, you walk in heavenly light. While 
 their end will be destruction, yours will be 
 triumph. While they will be uttering the wail- 
 ings of despair, you will be joining in the hal- 
 lelujahs of heaven. 
 
 THE END.
 
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