As to the second plea, doing more good, it was inquired, is it not doing evil that good may come? Is not the thing in question both evil in itself (for us) and evil in its consequences? _First_, Is it not (with regard to travelling preachers) evil in itself? Is it well consistent with that scripture, _2 Timothy_ ii. 4. _No man that warreth_, (takes on him the profession of a soldier, as we eminently do) _entangleth himself with the affairs of this life_; plainly referring to the _Roman_ law, which absolutely forbad any soldier to follow any other profession. Is it well consistent with that word, _Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to teaching: meditate on these things, give thyself wholly to them_? 1 Timothy iv. 13, 15. Can we be said to give ourselves wholly to these things, if we follow another profession? Does not our church, in her office of ordination, require every minister to do this? If they do not the more shame for them. But this plainly shews, what both they and we _ought_ to do. _We_ indeed more particularly; because God has called us to _provoke them to jealousy_, to supply their lack of service to the sheep that are as yet without shepherds, and to spend and be spent therein. We above all; because every travelling preacher solemnly professes to have nothing else to do, and receives his little allowance for this very end, that he may not need to do any thing else, that he may not be entangled in the things of this life; but may give himself wholly to these things.
_Secondly_, Is it not evil in its consequences? Have not some ill consequences appeared already? And is there not the greatest reason to apprehend that still worse would follow? We are concerned to give no offence, either to Jew or Gentile, or to the church of God. But this has already offended, not only many of the world, but many of our own brethren. Many of the preachers in particular have been much grieved: yea and those most, who were most alive to God. Now the beginning of offence, “is as when one letteth out water:” who can gather it up again? They are grieved the more, because they apprehend this would be an increasing evil. For where will it stop? If one preacher follows trade, so may twenty; so may every one. And if any of them trade a little, why not ever so much? Who can fix how far he should go? Therefore we advise our brethren who have been concerned herein, to give up all, and attend to the one business. And we doubt not but God will recompense them an hundred fold, even in this world, as well as in the world to come.
It is true, this cannot be done on a sudden. But it may between this and the next conference. And even as to the drops that many sold, if their wives sell them at home, well: but it is not proper for any preacher to hawk them about. It has a bad appearance. It does not well suit the dignity of his calling.
Two years after, it was agreed by all our brethren, that no preacher who will not relinquish his trade of buying and selling, or of making and vending pills, drops, balsams, or medicines of any kind, shall be considered as a travelling preacher any longer: and that it shall be demanded of all those preachers, who have traded in cloth, hardware, pills, drops, balsams, or medicines of any kind, at the next conference, whether they have ♦entirely left it off, or not?
♦ “intirely” replaced with “entirely”
* _Q._ 33. Why is it, that the people under our care are no better?
_A._ Other reasons may concur; but the chief is, because we are not more _knowing_ and more _holy_.
_Q._ 34. But why are we not more _knowing_?
_A._ Because we are idle. We forget the very first rule, “Be diligent. Never be unemployed a moment. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away time: neither spend any more time at any place than is strictly necessary.”
I fear there is altogether a fault in this matter: and that few of us are clear. Which of you spends as many hours a day, in God’s _work_, as you did formerly in _man’s work_? We talk,――or read history, or what comes next to hand.
We must, absolutely must, cure this evil, or give up the whole work.
But how? 1. Read the _most useful_ books, and that regularly and constantly. Steadily spend all the morning in this employ, or at least five hours in twenty-four.
“But I read _only_ the bible.” Then you ought to teach others to read only the bible, and by parity of reason, to _hear only_ the bible. But if so, you need preach no more. Just so said _George Bell_. And what is the fruit? Why now, he neither reads the bible, nor any thing else.
This is rank enthusiasm. If you need no book but the bible, you are got above St. _Paul_. He wanted others too. _Bring the books_, says he, _but especially the parchments_, those wrote on parchment.
“But I have _no taste_ for reading.” Contract a taste for it by use, or return to your trade.
“But different men have different tastes.” Therefore some may read less than others; but none should read less than this.