obedience," but for love's sake, I rather beseech you," and I cannot recommend to you a more devout and comprehensive form of penitent and publick intercession than that, or more proper for the season. Be not discouraged, if but few come to the "solemn assemblies," but go to the "House of Prayer," where "God is well known for a sure refuge;" go, though you go alone, or but with one besides yourself; and there as you are God's "remembrancer, keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth'." The first sacred council of Nice, for which the Xtian world has always had a great and just veneration, ordains a provincial synod to be held before Lent, that all dissentions being taken away, a pure oblation might be offer'd up to God, namely of prayers, and fasting, and alms, and tears, which might produce a comfortable communion at the following Easter: and that in this diocese we may in some degree imitate so primitive a practice, I exhort you to endeavour all you can to reconcile differences, to reduce those that go astray, to promote universal charity towards all that dissent from you, and "to put on as the elect of God3, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you3." I passionately beseech you to reade over daily your ordination vows, to examine yourself how you observe them; and in the prayers that are in that office, fervently to importune God for the assistance of His good Spirit, that you may conscientiously perform them. "Teach publickly, and from 3 Col. iii. 12. 1 Isa. lxii. 6, 7. 2 Can. v. house to house, and warn every one night and day with tears;" "warn" them to repent, to fast and to pray, and to give alms, "and to bring forth fruits, meet for repentance ;" "warn" them to continue steadfast in that "faith once delivered to the saints;" in which they were baptiz'd "to keep the word" of God's patience, that God may keep them in the hour of temptation; "warn" them against the sins and errours of the age; "warn" them to deprecate publick judgments, and to mourn for publick provocations. No one can reade God's holy word but he will see, that the greatest saints have been the greatest mourners; David "wept whole rivers1;" Jeremy "wept sore, and his eyes ran down in secret places day and night like a fountain2;" Daniel "mourned three full weeks, and did eat no pleasant bread, and sought God by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes;" St. Paul was humbled, and bewailed and wept for the sins of others; and our Lord himself when he "beheld the city wept over it." Learn then of these great saints, learn of our most compassionate Saviour, to weep for the publick, and weeping to pray that "we may know in this our day, the things that belong to our peace, lest they be hid from our eyes." To mourn for national guilt, in which all share, is a duty incumbent on all, but especially on priests, who are particularly commanded "to weep and to say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that God may repent of the evil and become jealous for his land and pity his people"." Be 1 Psal. cxix. 136. 3 Dan. ix. 3. x. 2. 5 Luke xix. 41. 5 2 Jer. ix. 1.-xiii. 17. 4 2 Cor. xii. 21.; Phil. iii. 18. 6 Joel ii. 17, 18. assured that none are more tenderly regarded by God than such mourners as these; there is " a mark"" set by him on "all that sigh and cry for the abominations of the land," the destroying angel is forbid to "hurt any of them," they are all God's peculiar care, and shall all have either present deliverance, or such supports and consolations, as shall abundantly endear their calamity. "Now the God of all grace, who hath called you unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" in the true Catholick and Apostolick Faith, profess'd in the Church of England and enable you to adorn that apostolick faith with an apostolick example and zeal, and give all our whole Church that timely repentance, these broken and contrite hearts, that both priests and people may all plentifully sow in tears, and in God's good time may all plentifully reap in joy. Your affectionate friend and Brother, From the Palace in Wells, Feb. 17, 1687. 1 Ezek. ix. 4. THO. BATH & WELLS. |