The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

And let me advise all Christian Congregations to practise this excellent duty more. See that you knock oftener at your Pastors door, and ask his advice in all your pressing necessities: Do not let him sit quiet in his study for you: Make him know by experience that the tenth part of a Ministers labour is not in the Pulpit. If your sins are strong, and you have wounded Conscience deep, go for his advice for a safe cure: Many a mans sore festers to damnation for want of this: And poor ignorant and scandalous sinners have far more need to do this then troubled Consciences. I am confident, if the people of my Congregation did but do their duty for the good of their own souls in private seeking advice of ⟨p. 517⟩their Ministers and opening their cases to them, they would find work for ten Ministers at least: And yet those two that they have, have more work then they are able to do already. Especially Ministers in small Country Congregations, might do abundance of Good this way: And their people are much too blame that they come not oftener to them for advice: This were the way to make Christians indeed. The Devil knows this, and therefore so envies it, that he never did more against a design in the world: he hath got the Maintenance alienated that should have maintained them, that so they may have but one Minister in a Congregation, and then among the greater Congregations this work is impossible for want of Instruments: yea he is about getting down the very Churches and settled Ministry, if God will suffer him. He setteth his Instruments to rail at Priests and Discipline, and to call Christs yoke Tyranny; because while the Garden is hedged in, he is fain with envy to look over the hedge. What if a man (like those of our times) should come to a Town that have an Epidemical Pleurisy or Fever, and say, Do not run l•ke fools to these Physicians; they do but cheat you, and rob your purses, and seek themselves, and seek to be Lords of your lives. Its possible some do so: But if by ⟨p. 518⟩these persuasions the silly people should lose their lives, how well had their new preacher befriended them? such friends will those prove at last to your souls, that dissuade you from obeying the Guidance and Discipline of your Overseers, and dare call the Ordinances of the Lord of Glory Tyrannical, and reproach those that Christ hath set over them.