observe it? Do not you find, that _any time_ is _no time_?
O let us all _stir up the gift of God that is in us_! Let us no more
_sleep, as do others_: But whatsoever our _hand findeth to do_, let us
_do it with our might_!
_Q._ 36. Who is the _assistant_?
_A._ That preacher in each circuit, who is appointed from time to time
to take charge of the societies, and the other preachers therein.
_Q._ 37. How should an assistant be qualified for this charge?
_A._ By walking closely with God, and having his work greatly at heart;
by understanding and loving discipline, ours in particular; and by
loving the church of _England_, and resolving not to separate from it.
_Q._ 38. What is the business of an assistant?
_A._ 1. To see that the other preachers in his circuit behave well,
and want nothing: 2. To visit the classes quarterly in each place,
regulate the bands, and deliver new tickets: 3. To keep watch-nights
and love-feasts: 4. To take in, or put out of the bands or society:
5. To hold quarterly meetings; and therein diligently to enquire both
into the spiritual and temporal state of each society. 6. To take care
that every society be duly supplied with books, and that the money for
them be constantly returned. 7. To send from every quarterly meeting a
circumstantial account to _London_ of every remarkable conversion, and
of every one who dies in the triumph of faith. 8. To take exact lists
of his societies every _Easter_, and bring them to the next conference.
9. To meet the married men, the married women, the single men, and
the single women, in the large societies once a quarter. 10. To see
that every society have a private room, and a set of the library or the
notes for the helper, and, 11. To travel with me, if required, once a
year, through the societies in his circuit.
_Q._ 39. Ought we to insist upon our rule, that no preacher print any
thing without your approbation?
_A._ Undoubtedly. And whoever does it for the time to come, cannot take
it ill, if he is excluded from our connection. Let every one take this
warning, and afterwards blame none but himself.
_Q._ 40. But has the office of an assistant been throughly executed?
_A._ No; not by one assistant out of three. For instance. Every
assistant ought, 1. To “see that the other preachers behave well.”
But who has sent me word, whether they did or no? 2. “To visit the
classes, regulate the bands, and deliver tickets quarterly.” How few
have done this? 3. Love-feasts for the bands have been neglected. 4.
Nor have persons been regularly taken in, and put out of the bands. 5.
I fear, many of the quarterly meetings are formal, not spiritual. 6.
The societies are not half supplied with books, not even with _Kempis_,
_Instructions for Children_ and _Primitive Physic_, which ought to
be in every house. And why should not each of you do like _William
Pennington_? Carry books with you through every round: exert yourselves
in this. Be not ashamed. Be not weary. Leave no stone unturned. 7. How
few accounts have I had, either of remarkable deaths, or remarkable
conversions? 8. How few exact lists have we received of the societies?
Take more time, and more pains in preparing them. 9. Who of you has
met the married and single men and women once a quarter, even in the
largest societies? 10. You have not provided a private room every
where for the preacher: nor a bed to himself: neither the library, for
want of which, some still read trash. Till this can be done, let there
be immediately in every place, at least the _Notes_ and the tract on
_Original Sin_.
_Q._ 41. Are there any other advices which you would give the
assistants?
_A._ Several. 1. Take a regular catalogue of your societies, as they
live, in house-row. 2. Leave your successor a particular account of the
state of the circuit. 3. See that every band-leader have the rules of
them. 4. Vigorously, but calmly, inforce the rules concerning ruffles,
drams, snuff, and tobacco. When any person is admitted into the society,
even good breeding requires him to conform to the rules of that society.
The same you should inforce in _Scotland_ as _England_. The _Scots_
will hear reason as well as the _English_. 5. As soon as there are four
men or women believers in any place, put them into a band. 6. Every
where insist on decency and cleanliness. Tell them cleanliness is next
to godliness. 7. Suffer no love feast to last above an hour and half;
let not one duty interfere with another, and stop all breaking the cake
with one another. That silly custom was introduced by _James Wheatley_,
and creates much confusion. And, 9. inform all the people from time to
time, that none should remove from one society to another, without a
sufficient reason; and that those who desire to remove are to acquaint
you with their reasons, and to have a certificate in these words (else
they will not be received in other societies.) “_A. B._ the bearer, is
a member of our society in _M――――_, I believe he has a sufficient cause
for removing.” 10. In every place, exhort those who were brought up in
the church to continue therein. And in visiting the classes, ask every
one, “Do you go to church as often as ever you did?” Set the example
yourself: and immediately alter every plan that interferes therewith:
so that every preacher may attend the church, at least two Sundays out
of four.
Is there not a cause? Are we not unawares by little and little sliding
into a separation from the church? O remove every tendency thereto
with all diligence. 1. Let all our preachers go to church. 2. Let
all the people go constantly; and, 3. Receive the sacrament at every
opportunity. 4. Warn all against niceness in hearing, a great and
prevailing evil. 5. Warn them also against despising the prayers of the
church. 6. Against calling our society _a church_ or _the church_. 7.
Against calling our preachers _ministers_, our houses _meeting houses_,
(call them plain _preaching houses_.) 8. Do not license them as such:
the proper form of a petition to the judge or justice is, “_A. B._
desires to have his house in _C――――_, licensed for public worship.”
9. Do not license yourself till you are constrained, and then not as a
_Dissenter_, but a _Methodist_ preacher. It is time enough when you are
prosecuted, to take the oaths. And by so doing you are licensed.
_Q._ 42. But are we not _Dissenters_?
_A._ We are irregular, 1. By calling sinners to repentance, in
_all places_ of God’s dominion. 2. By frequently using _extemporary
prayer_. Yet we are not _Dissenters_ in the only sense which our
law acknowledges: namely, persons who believe it is sinful to attend
the service of the church: for we do attend it at all opportunities.
We will not, dare not separate from the church, for the reasons
given several years ago. We are not _Seceders_, nor do we bear any
resemblance to them. We set out upon quite opposite principles.
The Seceders laid the very foundation of their work in judging and
condemning _others_. We laid the foundation of our work, in judging
and condemning ourselves. They begin every where, with shewing their
hearers, how fallen _the church_ and _ministers_ are. We begin every
where, with shewing our hearers, how fallen they are _themselves_.
And as we are not dissenters from the church now, so we will do nothing,
willingly, which tends to a separation from it. Therefore let every
assistant immediately so order his circuit, that no preacher may be
hindered from attending the church, more than two Sundays in the month.
Never make light of going to church, either by word or deed. Remember
Mr. _Hook_, a very eminent and zealous _papist_. When I asked him,
“Sir, What do you for public worship here, where you have no _Romish_
♦service?” He answered, “Sir, I am so fully convinced, it is the duty
of every man to worship God in public, that I go to church every Sunday.
If I cannot have such worship as I would, I will have such worship as
I can.”
♦ “sermon” replaced with “service” per Errata
But some may say, “Our own service is public worship.” Yes, _in
a sense_: but not such as supercedes the church service. We never
designed it should: we have an hundred times professed the contrary.
It pre-supposes public prayer, like the sermons at the university.
Therefore I have over and over advised, “use no _long prayer_, either
before or after sermon.” Therefore I myself frequently use only a
collect, and never inlarge in prayer, unless at intercession, or on
a watch-night, or on some extraordinary occasion.
If it were designed to be instead of church service it would be
essentially defective. For it seldom has the four grand parts of public
prayer. Deprecation, petition, intercession and thanksgiving. Neither
is it, even on the Lord’s day, concluded with the Lord’s supper.
The hour for it on that day, unless where there is some peculiar
reason for a variation, should be five in the morning as well as in
the evening. Why should we make God’s day the shortest of the seven?
But if the people put ours in the room of the church service, we
_hurt_ them that stay with us, and _ruin_ them that leave us. For then
they will go no where but lounge the sabbath away, without any public
worship at all.
I advise therefore all the _Methodists_ in _England_ and _Ireland_, who
have been brought up in the church, constantly to attend the service of
the church, at least every Lord’s day.
_Q._ 43. Are all our preachers merciful to their beasts?
_A._ Perhaps not. Every one ought, not only to ride it moderately, but
also to see with his own eyes his horse rubbed, fed and bedded.
* _Q._ 44. Do we sufficiently watch over our helpers?
_A._ We might consider those that are with us as our pupils: into whose
behaviour and studies we should therefore make a particular enquiry
every day.
Should we not frequently ask each, Do you walk closely with God?
Have you now fellowship with the Father and the Son? At what hour do
you rise? Do you punctually observe the morning and evening hour of
retirement? Do you spend the day in the manner which we advise? Do you
read the books we advise, and no other? Do you fast as often as your
health will permit? Do you converse seriously, usefully and closely? Do
you pray before, and have you a determinate end in every conversation?
To be more particular:
Do you use all the means of grace yourself, and inforce the use of them
on all persons?
They are either _instituted_ or _prudential_.
I. The instituted are,
1st, Prayer; private, family, public: consisting of deprecation,
petition, intercession, thanksgiving.
Do you use each of these constantly (at set times) and fervently?
Do you use private prayer every morning and evening? If you are your
own master, at five in the evening, and the hour before or after
morning preaching?
Do you forecast wherever you are, how to secure these hours?
Do you avow it every where?
Are you resolute herein?
Do you call your family together at five?
Do you ask every where, 1. Have _you_ family prayer? 2. Do you retire
at five o’clock?
II. Searching the scripture, by,
1. Reading: _constantly_, some part of every day, and at all vacant
hours; _regularly_, all the new Testament (at least) and the Lessons
for Children in order; _carefully_, with the Notes, _seriously_,
_deliberately_, with much prayer preceding, accompanying and following:
_fruitfully_, immediately practising what you learn there?
What other books do you read? Is it wise to read any, till you have
read our tracts, and the Christian Library?
Do you give the morning to reading, writing and prayer?
2. Meditating: at set times? How? By bishop _Hall_’s, or Mr. _Baxter_’s
rule? How long?
3. Hearing: constantly? Every morning?
Humbly? Uncritically, devoutly?
Carefully? With prayer before, at, after?
Fruitfully? Immediately putting in practice?
Have you a new Testament always in your pocket?
(See that the Notes are in every society. Explain them to the
congregation.)
III. The Lord’s supper. Do you use this,
At every opportunity? With due preparation?
That is, with solemn prayer? With careful self-examination? With deep
repentance suited thereto? With earnest and deliberate self-devotion?
Do you in communicating _discern_ the Lord’s body?
Do you afterward _retire_, not formally, but in earnest?
IV. Fasting: God led us to this at _Oxford_. And he led all of you to
it, when you first set out.
How often do you fast now? Every Friday? In what degree?
V. Christian conference.
Are we convinced, how important, and how difficult it is to order our
conversation right?
Is it always _in grace_? Seasoned with salt? Meet to minister grace to
the hearers?
Do we not converse too long at a time? Is not an hour at a time
commonly enough?
Would it not be well to plan our conversation beforehand? To pray
before and after it?
II. Prudential means we may use either as _common Christians_, as
_Methodists_, as _preachers_, or as _assistants_.
1. As common Christians. What particular rules have _you_, for avoiding
evil? Doing good? Growing in grace? What arts of holy living?
2. As Methodists; Do you never miss any meeting of the society? Neither
your class, or band?
3. As preachers: Do you meet every society weekly? Also the leaders?
And bands, if any?
Do you visit the sick? And the well? Instructing masters and parents?
And in all relative duties?
4. As assistants: Do you fill up and regulate the bands wherever you
come? Diligently enquire into the state of the books, and do all you
can to propagate them? Keep watch-nights once a month? And love-feasts?
With one twice a year, for all the society?
Do you visit every society once a quarter, and regulate all things
therein?
Do you take a regular catalogue of your societies at least once a year?
Do you write me an account of all the defects of the common preachers,
which you cannot yourself cure?
These means may be used without fruit. But there are some means which
cannot. Namely, watching, denying ourselves, taking up our cross,
exercise of the presence of God.
1. Do we steadily watch against the world, the devil, ourselves? The
besetting sin?
2. Do you deny yourselves every useless pleasure of sense? Imagination?
Honour? Are you temperate in all things? To take one instance, in food?
Do you use only that _kind_ and that _degree_, which is best both for
the body and soul? Do you see the necessity of this?
Do you eat no flesh suppers? No late suppers? These naturally tend to
destroy bodily health.
Do you eat only three meals a day? If four, are you not an excellent
pattern to the flock?
Do you take no more food than is necessary at each meal? You may know
if you do, by a load at your stomach: by drowsiness, or heaviness, and
in a while, by weak or bad nerves.
Do you use only that _kind_, and that _degree_ of drink which is best
both for your body and soul?
Do _you_ drink water? Why not? Did you ever? Why did you leave it off?
If not for health, when will you begin again? To day?
How often do you drink wine or ale? Every day? Do you _want_ or _waste_
it?
3. Wherein do you _take up your cross_ daily? Do you chearfully _bear
your cross_ (whatever is grievous to nature) as a gift of God, and
labour to profit thereby?
4. Do you endeavour to set God always before you? To see his eye
continually fixt upon you? Never can you use these means, but a
blessing will ensue. And the more you use them, the more will you
“grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
_Q._ 45. What can be done in order to a closer union of our helpers
with each other?
_A._ 1. Let them be deeply convinced of the want there is of it at
present, and the absolute necessity of it.
2. Let them pray for an earnest desire of union.
3. Let them speak freely to each other.
4. When they meet, let them never part without prayer.
5. Let them beware how they despise each other’s gifts.
6. Let them never speak slightingly of each other in any kind.
7. Let them defend one another’s characters in every thing, to the
utmost of their power: And
8. Let them labour in honour each to prefer the other before himself.
_Q._ 46. How shall we avoid popularity? We mean such esteem or love
from the people, as is not for the glory of God?
_A._ 1. Earnestly pray for a piercing sense of the danger there is, and
the sinfulness of it.
2. Take care how you ingratiate yourself with any people, by slackness
of discipline:
3. Or by any method which another preacher cannot follow.
4. Warn the people among whom you are most, of esteeming or loving you
too much.
5. Converse sparingly with those who are particularly fond of you.
_Q._ 47. How often should our helpers preach?
_A._ Not more than twice a day, unless on a _Sunday_, or some
extraordinary occasion.
_Q._ 48. Which is the best general method of preaching.
_A._ 1. To invite. 2. To convince. 3. To offer Christ. 4. To build up:
and to do this in some measure in every sermon.
_Q._ 49. Are there any smaller advices relating to preaching, which
might be of use to us?
_A._ Perhaps these, 1. Be sure to begin and end, precisely at the time
appointed.
2. Endeavour to be serious, weighty, and solemn in your whole
deportment before the congregation.
3. Always suit your subject to the audience.
4. Choose the plainest texts you can.
5. Take care not to ramble from your text, but keep close to it, and
make out from it what you take in hand.
6. Beware of allegorizing or spiritualizing too much.
7. Take care of any thing aukward or affected, either in your phrase,
gesture or pronunciation.
8. Tell each other, if you observe any thing of this kind.
9. Sing no hymns of your own composing.
10. Without a pressing reason, do not pray above eight or ten minutes
(at most) without intermission.
11. It would be well for every young preacher, frequently to exhort,
without taking any text: and for every one, young or old, frequently
to read and inlarge upon a portion of the Notes.
_Q._ 50. What sermons do we find by experience to be attended with the
greatest blessing?
_A._ 1. Such as are most close, convincing, searching. 2. Such as
have most of Christ. 3. Such as urge the heinousness of mens living
in contempt or ignorance of him.
_Q._ 51. But have not some of us been led off from practical preaching,
by (what was called) _preaching Christ_?
_A._ Indeed we have. The most effectual way of preaching Christ, is to
preach him in all his offices, and to declare his _law_, as well as his
_gospel_, both to believers and unbelievers.
_Q._ 52. Do we now all preach strongly and closely, concerning both
_inward_ and _outward_ holiness?
_A._ It would be well, if we were more frequently and more largely to
insist upon it in all its branches.
_Q._ 53. Do we insist enough on practical religion in general? And
in particular, on relative duties? Using the means of grace? Private
prayer? Self-denial? Fasting? Seriousness?
_A._ It seems most of us have been wanting here. Let us take care to
supply this defect for the future.
_Q._ 54. How shall we be assured that no preacher will ever disappoint
a congregation?
_A._ Ask every one, 1. Do you see the great sin, and fatal consequences
of it? 2. Will you break a limb rather than wilfully break your word
herein? 3. If you do, can you blame us, for not employing you any more?
_Q._ 55. How shall we guard against formality in public worship?
Particularly in singing?
_A._ 1. By preaching frequently on that head. 2. By taking care to
speak only what we feel. 3. By choosing such hymns as are proper for
the congregation; generally hymns of prayer or praise, rather than
descriptive of particular states. 4. By not singing too much at once;
seldom more than five or six verses: 5. By suiting the tune to the
nature of the hymn: 6. By often stopping short and asking the people,
“Now! Do you know what you said last? Did you speak no more than you
felt? Did you sing it as unto the Lord; with the spirit and with the
understanding also?”
_Q._ 56. What can be done to make the people sing true?
_A._ 1. Learn to sing true yourselves. 2. Recommend the tunes every
where. 3. If a preacher cannot sing himself, let him choose two or
three persons in every place to pitch the tune for him.
_Q._ 57. What is it best to take just after preaching?
_A._ Lemonade; candied orange peel, or a little soft, warm ale. But egg
and wine is downright poison.
_Q._ 58. How shall we try those who think they are moved by the Holy
Ghost to preach?
_A._ Inquire, 1. Do they know God as a pardoning God? Have they the
love of God abiding in them? Do they desire and seek nothing but God?
And are they holy in all manner of conversation? 2. Have they _gifts_
(as well as _grace_) for the work? Have they (in some tolerable degree)
a clear, sound understanding? Have they a right judgment in the things
of God? Have they a just conception of salvation by faith? And has
God given them any degree of utterance? Do they speak justly, readily,
clearly? 3. Have they _fruit_? Are any truly convinced of sin and
converted to God by their preaching?
As long as these three marks concur in any one, we believe he is called
of God to preach. These we receive as sufficient proof, that he is
moved thereto by the Holy Ghost.
_Q._ 59. But how shall we know, whether they concur or not, in any
particular person?
_A._ 1. If he is near us, we will talk with him on the preceding heads
and hear him preach.
2. We will desire him to write down or relate the reasons, why he
thinks he is called of God thereto.
3. We will examine those who seem to be convinced of sin, or converted
to God by his preaching.
4. If he is at a distance, we will desire the assistant to do this: and
to inquire, what is the judgment of his brethren concerning him.
_Q._ 60. What method may we use in receiving a new helper;
_A._ A proper time for doing this, is at a conference after solemn
fasting and prayer.
Every person to be admitted is then to be present, and each of them may
be asked,
* “_A. B._ Have _you_ faith in Christ? Are you _going on to
perfection_? Do you expect to be _perfected in love_ in this life? Are
you groaning after it? Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to
God and his work? Do you know the _Methodist_-plan? Have you read the
_plain account_? The _appeals_? Do you know the rules of the society?
Of the bands? Do you keep them? Do you take no snuff? Tobacco? Drams?
Do you constantly attend the church and sacrament? Have you read the
minutes? Are you willing to conform to them? Have you considered the
twelve rules of a helper? Especially the first, tenth, and twelfth?
Will you keep them for conscience-sake? Are you determined to employ
_all_ your time in the work of God? Will you preach every morning and
evening? Endeavouring not to speak too long (an hour in the whole)
or too loud? Not lolling with your elbows? Have you read the _rules
of action and utterance_? Will you meet the society, the bands, the
select society, and the leaders in every place? Will you diligently and
earnestly instruct the children, and visit from house to house? Will
you recommend fasting, both by precept and example?”
We may then receive him as a probationer, by giving him the minutes of
the conference inscribed thus,
To _A. B._
“You think it your duty to call sinners to repentance. Make full proof
hereof, and we shall rejoice to receive you as a fellow-labourer.
“_Observe_, You are not to ramble up and down, but to go where the
assistant directs, and there only.”
Let him then read and carefully weigh what is contained therein, and
see whether he can agree to them, or not.
If he can, let him come to the next conference; where, after
examination, fasting and prayer, he may be received into full
connection with us, by giving him the minutes inscribed thus:
“So long as you freely consent to, and earnestly endeavour to walk by
these rules, we shall rejoice to acknowledge you as a fellow-labourer.”
Mean time, let none exhort in any of our societies without a note of
permission from the assistant. Let every exhorter take care to have
this renewed yearly. And let every assistant rigorously insist upon it.
_Q._ 61. How can we provide for worn-out preachers?
_A._ Those that can preach a little may be supernumerary preachers
where there is most need. As for those who cannot preach at all.
1. Let every travelling preacher contribute _half a guinea_ yearly at
the conference.
2. Let every one when first received as a travelling preacher, pay _one
guinea_.
3. Let this be lodged in the hands of the stewards approved of by the
majority of the preachers.