Of the J.'1inijlerl'a(Ftm!liotr. 3"45 thing to their pa.fiors, in effcet they acquai nt then1 with nothing at all. Perhaps fome perfons, lying under fome terrors and trouble of mind, may apply tben~felves un--, to us, to give vent to· the fire that burneth within then1; but otherwife they content then1felves to fee us in the pulpit, and c.are not how little we be acquail1ted with their temper ana way. tt will be"long ere any come to tel1 us, that they find then1fdves proud, or paffionate, or revengeful, and in- _ quire how they !hall get thofe vices fub– dued; that _they .at.e covetous and uncha– ritable and befeech us to tell then1 how·– they ihall an1end; to . acquaint us with their temptations, and to learn the fitteft n1ethods to oppofe them. ,We are fe!dom troubled with addrelfes of this nat_ure j and it is hard to d~ any thing towards a cure, when theywill not let us know the difeafe. The difficulty of then1inifierial funcrion will .further appear, if we confider the fe– veral duties and exercifes of it. We fhaU but touch at fome of rhem nt prefcnt, and · n1ay perhaps have occafion to fpeak of more in the appli~ation. _ Catechizing is a_necdfary but painful one. It is no fmall toil, to tdJ the fame things a thoufand times to fo1ne dull and ignorant ' peop-le, ·
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