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Falfe and Deceitful Difpenfers of the Divine Myfteries, who have either carelefly loft, or treacherously deluded the Souls of those committed to their Charge, which they must one Day anfwer for, as well as for their own. And therefore that nothing of this kind may ever be laid to my Charge, I folemnly promife and refolve, before GOD, fo to demean myfelf in the exércife of my Minifterial Function, as to make the Care of Souls, efpecially of thofe committed to my Charge, the chief Study and Bufinefs of my Life. And that without Partiality or Exception; I muft not fingle out fome of the best of my Flock, fuch as I have the higheft refpect for, or have receiv'd the greatest Obligations from; but minifter to every one according to their feveral Neceffities. if I meet with Men of Knowledge and Vertue, my bufinefs must be to confirm and establish them therein; if with thofe that are Ignorant and Immoral, to teach and inftruct them in the Ways of Religi on, and by all means poflible to reclaim and reduce them to the exercife of their Duty; always remembring, that as the Bleffed Jefus, the great Shepherd and Bihop of our fouls, was not fent fave unto the loft sheep of the house of Ifrael; and came not to call the righteous but finners

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to repentance; fo it is the indifpenfable Duty of his Apoftles and Minifters, (and, by the Grace of GOD, I shall make it mine) to follow His Example in this par ticular, to fpare no Time nor Pains in the Reformation of Sinners, tho' it be never fo irkfome and difficult to accomplish; even tho' I fhou'd meet with fuch as the Prophet David fpeaks of, who hate to be reformed, and caft my words behind them. And therefore as I know 'tis my Duty, fo I fhall always endeavour to take pleasure in the feveral Offices I perform of this kind, To ftrengthen the weak, beal the wounded, and bind up the broken heart, to call in thofe that err and go aftray, and to feek and fave thofe that are loft.

To thefe Ends, tho' Preaching is, without doubt, a moft excellent and ufeful, as well as a necellary Duty (efpecially if it be perform'd as it ought, with Zeal and Reverence, and the Doctrine apply'd and prefs'd home with fincerity of Af fection) yet I fhall not think it fufficient to inftruct my People only from the Pulpit, but take all opportunities to instil good Thoughts and Principles into their Minds, in my private Converfation. I know it is impoflible for all Ministers frequently to vifit every particular Perfon or Family in their Parish, there being in

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foine Parifhes, efpecially in and about London, fo many Thousands of Souls. But, howfoever, if it fhould please the Lord to call me to fuch a Flock, tho' I cannot vifit all, I fhall vifit as many as I can efpecially thofe that are Sick and Infirm, and be fure to feed them with the fincere milk of the word, fuch as may turn to their Spiritual Nourishment, and make them grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. I will not fill their Heads with Speculative Notions and Niceties in Divinity (which, among the lefs Judicious, are very often the occafion of Herefy and Error, and fometimes alfo of Delufion and Diftraction.) But my chief Care shall be to. Inftruct them in thofe neceffary Truths which their Christian Faith indifpenfably obliges them to know and believe, and prefs them to the performance of thofe Duties, without which they cannot be fav'd; meekly and impartially reproving the particular Vices they are most inclin'd and addicted to, and chearfully encouraging and improving whatever Vertuous Actions they are any of them exemplary in; and whatever Good Habits or Inclinations the Divine Grace has put into their Hearts. And fince Love and Charity is the great Characteristick of our

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Profeffion, the Bond and Cement of all other Chriftian Duties, in order to make my Miniftry the more fuccessful, I refolve, in the laft place, not only to avoid all Differences and Difputes with them myself, but amicably to compofe all fuch as may arife among the Neighbours. In a word, I fhall make it my endeavour in all things fo to approve myself as a faithful Minifter, both in Life and Doctrine, before them; that at the Laft-Day, when the Great GOD fhall call for my Parish and myself to appear before Him, I may be fitly prepar'd to give an Account of Both; at leaft, to answer for as many them as He requires, and may with Joy and Comfort pronounce this Sentence of my Saviour, if it may without Offence be apply'd to his Minifters, Behold I and the Children which Thou haft given me.

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RESOLUTION VI.

I am refolu'd, by the Grace of GOD, to be as faithful and conftant to my Friend, as I would have my Friend to be faithful and constant to me.

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Aving before refolv'd to be zealous in loving GOD, I here refolve to be as conftant in loving my Friend. But why do I refolve upon this, Is it poffible to live and not to love? this to me feems as plain a Contradiction, as to live and not to live. For Love, in my Opinion, is as much the Life of the Soul, as the Soul is the Life of the Body. So that, for my own part, I fhall expect to ceafe to live, at the very Moment that I ceafe to love; nay, I do not look upon Love only as my Life, but as the Joy and Comfort of it too. And, for this reafon, I shall never envy any Man his Riches, Pleafures, or Preferments, provided that I can but enjoy the Perfons my Soul delights in, viz. Chrift in the firft place, and my Friend and Neighbour in the fecond: But then I must have a great Care where, and how, I place this Affection; for if I place it wrong, my very Loving will be Sinning.

And