The life and funeral sermon of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Brand Dr. Samuel Annesley

2. Acquaint your selves more familiarly with some one, or more Ministers, that you have or may find specially beneficial to your Soul. Though there's no sufficient Scripture-warrant for a Popish Confessor to have a Key to your Conscience for secular Advantage, yet there's sufficient warrant for Christians to ask and Ministers not to dare to deny particular Advice and Encouragement in all emergent Cases. Where Pastors and People are duly communicative for ends purely Spiritual, 'Tis no small advantage to both: Ministers may learn as much to help their Preaching, as People may learn to guide their Practise. But,

2. Acquaint your selves more familiarily with some one, or more Ministers, that you have or may find specially beneficial to your Soul. Though there's no sufficient Scripture-warrant for a Popish Confessor to have a Key to your Conscience for secular Advantage, yet there's sufficient warrant for Christians to ask and Ministers not to dare to deny particular Advice and Encouragement in all emergent Cases. Where Pastors and People are duly communicative for ends purely Spiritual, 'Tis no small advantage to both: Ministers may learn as much to help their Preaching, as People may learn to guide their Practise. But,

3. Do not trouble your Ministers with things remote from practical Cases of Conscience, but about your own present Duty. Christians I would charge you to weigh every word in this direction; do not trouble your Ministers, by diverting them and your selves from what's of moment to what's trivial, (unless it be when it may be a Duty to unbend their Bow, for refreshing their tired Spirits) however pleasant it may seem to be, 'twill be a Trouble to review. Then let it be your Ministers, some run up and down, and settle no where, who are at best but like those Deer that leap over the Pales, who though they meet with better Pasture then the Park affords, yet they are leaner than those that stay in their Enclosure. Such planetary Christians, though they converse with worthy Ministers, ⟨p. 126⟩yet 'tis ordinarily about things remote from what is spiritually profitable, they will ask Problematical Questions, and be sure like the Lapwing to make the greatest noise far from their Nest; they will not come near any thing that comes near their Conscience, but all the words they speak are such as Christ calls unprofitable,