Lord's army, in London, is marshalled in three ranks. There are some professing nobility and gentry; these being learned, God sends gentlemen of eminent learning to preach to them. The second rank consists chiefly of mechanics, of good education; and God sends such mechanics to preach to them. The third battalion consists of servants, journeymen, a great number of old charwomen, together with some scavengers, lamplighters, and hod-men. Now you and I must be standard-bearers to this battalion of light infantry; and we are protected by the same laws, fight under the same banner, and no less beloved of the King than the others. You will say, that our temporal pay is less; true, but our spiritual pay is more. Thou wilt say, country people are not so bitter against a gownsman. Neither shun the cross, nor court it. But carnal wisdom may plead the usefulness of the gown to draw people; to which I answer, all nets manufactured by human wisdom are too weak to hold a sinner. Cast the Lord's net with the hand of faith, and pray for the wind to blow, and doubtless you will have a draught. Strive not to please a few light, bigoted Pharisees, with a gown and band; their applause will puff thee up, and pride may blind thine eyes, until thou mayest appear in thine own sight almost a master of arts; but every discerning Christian will see thee in another light. Go on as thou art; bring no carnal props to support the ark of God; an unpolished preacher is less capable of deceiving. Many ap

pear in gowns and bands, with refined language, which are no more than mere instruments, without spiritual life, deceiving the people with an empty sound; and, although they are called gospel ministers, yet it is to be feared they neither know Christ, nor themselves: better judges than I say the same.

Not long ago I went to hear one of these gentlemen, in his robes, who had no more right to them than I have; he preached a very sound-worded discourse. I admired his speech, ingenuity, and fluency; in short, there was nothing wanting but unction. Soon after this, a gentleman lent me a book, which I had never seen before, called Benjamin Keach's Metaphors. I had not read in it long, before I saw, word for word, all the ingenious discourse which I had lately heard; and how that divine appeared in my eyes afterwards I shall leave you to guess. I told a friend who went with me, that if these gentlemen were kept from hearing gospel ministers, and without money to buy commentators, they would be forced to act the part of a journeyman shoemaker when he has spent all his cash on St. Monday; I mean, stand still for the want of stuff.

I know some learned gospel ministers in London, who have come down in their style of speech to the weakest capacity; while others, some of whom were as low and mean as myself, are climbing up in pride to that pinnacle from which the others descended. Do not mistake me, I am not

against any servant of Christ consulting the judg ment of a sound author, or quoting from him; but I say, all who run unsent of God, let them get their matter and manner from Benjamin Keach, or elsewhere, God has quartered them at the sign of the den of thieves; and, sooner or later, they will turn back in the day of battle; for God is against them that steal his word, every one of his neighbour, Jer. xxiii. 30—32.

It is better, my son, to feel and enjoy what we cannot find language to express, than to express what we never felt or enjoyed; therefore aim more at life than language. If we must be grammarians, let us get it by the dint of hard study and observation; and let us preach as much scripture as possible, for the Bible is excellent language. Learned ministers, if under the influence of grace, will not despise us in our proper sphere; a nobleman's butler does not despise an under-groom in his stable; but, if he will be meddling with the sideboard, he cannot be said to abide in the place wherein he was called: you know how to apply it.

However, if you are determined to appear in the character of a dignified clergyman, I hope you will go to some place where thou art not known; and be sure never to drop a hint that thou wast once a professor of the craft of St. Crispin. Take what I have written in good part, as it is intended for thy good. You shall have my opinion of ministerial abilities in the next. Remember I have long styled thee my own son in the faith, and hope

thou wilt be likeminded with me. Neglect not the gift that is in thee; let not every wind of error, nor the north wind of the law, deter thee: "He that observeth the winds shall not sow;"

and those zealously affected by false clouds shall not reap much, Eccles. xi. 4.

Ever thine in gospel love,

LETTER V.

TO N. MY BELOVED SON.

W. H.

Winchester Row.

Iv WISH thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth; and that in this, and in every thing, thou mayest commit thy ways unto the Lord, and he shall direct thy steps; leave it with him, and he shall establish thy thoughts: wait, look, and expect, and he shall bring it to pass.

But now to comply with my son's request, in giving him my thoughts of ministerial qualifications. In doing this, I do not intend to arraign thee at my bar, but shew thee how I have arraigned myself at God's bar. There are some who run to this work without being sent of God; and

they may seem to outstep him that is, because they, like Ahimaaz, run by the way of the plain; but whether Cushi's road be rough or smooth, he has got the tidings in his mouth, 2 Sam. xviii. 23. These forward men are, like Noah's raven, the first that go out, and the last that come back; for they often end with the world: but we must imitate the dove; go to the everlasting and evergreen olive tree, and take one of those leaves which are for the healing of the nations; and if we carry the medicines, we shall be found out by those who have need of healing. But a man who runs unsent of God, cannot expect God to screen his head in the day of battle; he is likely to get no better answer from God in time of trial than the prophet did when he fled from Jezebel to Horeb: "What dost thou here, Elijah?"

A gospel minister has some of the same trying work, to make his calling to the ministry clear, as he had to make his effectual calling and eternal election sure; and when a man has done this, he has full liberty to appeal, both to God and man, as Moses did, when rebels invaded his office, and rebelled against his authority, "I have not done them of mine own mind." God sent an awful judgment to convince all Israel that Moses was no impostor.

A minister must not be a novice, 1 Tim. iii. 6. It doth not mean an ignorant man in natural things; for God chose an illiterate Peter to confound a wise Sanhedrim; an ignorant man made wise unto sal