dom as to the state of their souls, and at night review the whole, and conclude the day with some religious exercises, suited to the work in which I have been engaged, and the frame of my own soul, and will keep an account of what passeth at these seasons. My God assist me in this important duty. Make it so comfortable and useful to me, that I may have reason to praise thee, that my thoughts were directed, and my resolutions determined to it." With these pious exercises, and in this solemn manner, did he enter on his ministry at Northampton.

That he might be better qualified for, and quickened to, that large pastoral work now devolved upon him, he employed some of the time between his settlement and ordination in reading the best treatises of the qualifications and duties of ministers; particularly Chrysostom on the Priesthood, Bowles' Pastor Evangelicus, Burnet on the Pastoral Care, and Baxter's Gildas Salvianus. He likewise read the lives of some pious active ministers; particularly of Mr. P. Henry, which he often spoke of as affording him much instruction and encouragement. He selected the most important advices, reflections, and motives contained in these books, which he frequently reviewed. He also at this time made a collection of those maxims of prudence and discretion, which he thought demanded a minister's attention, if he desired to secure esteem and usefulness.

About two months after his settlement at Northampton, it pleased God to visit him with a dangerous illness, which gave his friends many painful fears, that the residue of his years of usefulness to them and to the world would be cut off. But, after a few weeks of languishing, God mercifully restored his health. While he was recovering, but yet in a very weak state, the time came which had been fixed for his ordination. Of the transactions of that day, he has preserved the following account. "March 19, 1729-30. The afflicting hand of God upon me hindered me from making that preparation for the solemn

ity of this day, which I could otherwise have desired, and which might have answered some valuable end. However, I hope it hath long been my sincere desire to dedicate myself to God in the work of the ministry; and that the views, with which I determined to undertake the office, and which I this day solemnly professed, have long since been fixed. The work of the day was carried on in a very honourable and agreeable manner. Mr. Goodrich of Oundle began with prayer and reading the Scriptures. Mr. Dawson of Hinckley continued the exercise. Then Mr.

Watson of Leicester preached a suitable sermon from 1 Tim. iii. 1. This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work,' Mr. Norris of Welford then read the call of the church, of which I declared my acceptance: he took my con fession of faith, and ordination-vows, and proceeded to set me apart by prayer. Mr. Clark of St. Albans gave the charge to me, and Mr. Saunders of Kettering the exhortation to the people. Then Mr. Mattock of Daventry concluded the whole solemnity with prayer. I cannot but admire the goodness of God to me in thus accepting me in the office of a minister, who do not deserve to be owned by him as one of the meanest of his servants. But I firmly determine, in the strength of divine grace, that I will be faithful to God, and the souls committed to my charge; and that I will perform what I have so solemnly sworn. The great indisposition under which I labour, gives me some apprehension that this settlement may be very short: but, through mercy, I am not anxious about it. I have some cheerful hope, that the God, to whom I have this day been, more solemnly than ever, devoting my service, will graciously use me either in this world or a better; and I am not solicitous about particular circumstances, where or how. If I know any thing of my heart, I apprehend I may adopt the words of the apostle, that it is my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that Christ shall be magnified in my body,

whether it be by life or by death; that, to me to live is Christ, and to die is unspeakable gain.' May this day never be forgotten by me, nor the dear people committed to my charge, whom I would humbly recommend to the care of the great Shepherd!"

The annual return of this ordination-day was observed by him with some peculiar solemnity in his secret devotions. Thus he writes upon it: "It is this day fifteen years since I have borne the pastoral office in the church of Christ. How many mercies have I received in this character! But alas! how many negligences and sins have I to be humbled for before God! Yet I can call him to record upon my soul, that the office is my delight, and I would not resign the pleasure of it for any price, which the greatest prince upon earth could offer me."

CHAP. V.

HIS DISCHARGE OF HIS MINISTRY AT

NORTHAMPTON.

as

MR. DODDRIDGE having entered on the pastoral of fice with so much seriousness and solemnity, we are now to see with how much faithfulness and zeal he performed his vows, and fulfilled the ministry he had received of the Lord Jesus.It was his first care, a pastor, to know the state of his flock. As it was large, and lay dispersed in most of the neighbouring villages, he had frequent meetings with the deacons and a few other persons belonging to it, of whom he made particular inquiries concerning the members and stated hearers, their names, families, places of abode, connexions, and characters. He entered in a book the result of these inquiries, and what other intelli

gence of this kind he could honourably procure. This book he often consulted, that he might know how, in the most prudent and effectual manner, to address them in public and private; and made such alterations from time to time in this list, as births, deaths, additions, and his increasing acquaintance with his people required. By this list he was directed in the course of his pastoral visits, and could form some judgment what degree of success attended his labours. Here he inserted the names and the characters of the lowest servants in the families under his care, that he might remember, what instructions, admonitions, and encouragements they needed; what hints of exhortation he had given to them or others, how they were received, what promises they had made him, and who wanted Bibles or other religious books, that he might supply them. By this list he was directed how to pray for them. He likewise wrote down particular hints of this kind, as they occurred, which were to be taken notice of in the historical register of his congregation; especially when the many revolutions of one kind or another made it necessary for him to renew it.

It hath been already observed what care and pains he took in composing his sermons, when he first entered on the ministry. His work as a tutor, and the pastoral care of a large congregation, rendered it next to impossible that he should be so exact and accurate afterwards: Nor was it needful; having habituated himself for several years to correct compositions, having laid up such a fund of knowledge, especially of the Scriptures, which was daily increasing by his studies and lectures, he sometimes only wrote down the heads and leading thoughts of his sermons, and the principal texts of Scripture he designed to introduce. But he was so thoroughly master of his subject, and had such a ready utterance, and so warm a heart, that perhaps few ministers can compose better discourses than he deli vered from these short hints. When his other important business would permit, when he was called to preach upon particular occasions, or found his spirits

depressed by bodily infirmities, or other afflictive providences, he thought it his duty to write his sermons more largely. Of what kind they were, the world has had a sufficient specimen in those which have been published. And it is imagined all persons of judgment and candour will allow, that they are well calculated to answer the great end of preaching. The vital truths of the gospel, and its duties, as enforced by them, were his favourite topics. He considered himself as a minister of the gospel, and therefore could not satisfy himself without preaching Christ and him crucified. He never puzzled his hearers with dry criticisms and abstruse disquisitions; nor contented himself with moral essays and philosophical harangues, with which the bulk of his auditory would have been unaffected and unedified. He thought it cruelty to God's children to give them stones, when they came for bread. "It is my desire," saith he, "not to entertain an auditory with pretty lively things, which is comparatively easy, but to come close to their consciences, to awaken them to a real sense of their spiritual concerns, to bring them to God, and keep them continually near to him; which, to me at least, is an exceeding hard thing." He seldom meddled with controversial points in the pulpit ; never with those, with which he might reasonably suppose his congregation was unacquainted; nor set him. self to confute errors, with which they were in no danger of being infected. When his subject naturally led him to mention some writers, from whom he differed, he spoke of them and their works with candour and tenderness; appealing constantly to the Scriptures, as the standard by which all doctrines are to be tried. He showed his hearers of how little importance most of the differences between Protestants are, and chose rather to be a healer of breaches, than to widen them. He always spoke with abhorrence of passionately inveighing against our brethren in the pulpit, and making Christian ordinances the vehicle of malignant passions. He thought this equally affronting to God and pernicious to man; poisoning instead of feeding the sheep