_A._ 1. See that no circuit be at any time without preachers. Therefore let no preacher, who does not attend the conference, leave the circuit at that time on any pretence whatever. This is the most improper time in the whole year. Let every assistant see to this, and require each of these to remain in the circuit till the new preachers come.
Let not all the preachers in any circuit come to the conference.
Let those who do come, set out as late as possible, and return as soon as possible.
2. Be more diligent in field-preaching. The want of preaching abroad, and of preaching in new places, has greatly damped the work of God.
3. Wherever we have a large preaching-house at one end of a great town, let us preach abroad at the other end of it, every _Sunday_ morning at least.
4. Be more diligent in morning-preaching, wherever you can have twenty hearers.
5. Be more active in dispersing the books: particularly the sermon on the _Good Steward_, on _In-being Sin_, the _Repentance of Believers_, and the _Scripture Way of Salvation_. Every assistant may give away small tracts. And he may beg money of the rich to buy books for the poor.
6. Let every preacher strongly insist upon practical religion and relative duties: but in such a manner as to keep Christ continually in view.
7. Exhort the leaders of bands to speak to those with them in the closest manner possible.
8. Encourage all at the public meeting of the bands to speak with all openness and simplicity.
9. Let a fast be observed in all our societies on the last _Friday_ in _September_, and on the _Friday_ after _New Year’s Day_, after _Lady-day_, and after _Midsummer-day_.
10. Wherever you can, use intercession on _Friday_, and recommend _fasting_ both by precept and example.
11. Be conscientiously exact in the whole Methodist discipline. And that you may understand it, read over carefully _The plain account of the people called Methodists_, and the several _Minutes of the CONFERENCES_.
12. Beware of _formality_ in singing, or it will creep in upon us unawares. Is it not creeping in already, by those complex tunes, which it is scarce possible to sing with devotion? Such is “Praise ye the Lord ye blessed ones:” such the long quavering _hallelujah_ annexed to the morning song-tune, which I defy any man living to sing devoutly. The repeating the same word so often, (but especially while another repeats different words, the horrid abuse which runs through the modern church music) as it shocks all common sense, so it necessarily brings in dead formality, and has no more of religion in it than a _Lancashire_ hornpipe. Beside that, it is a flat contradiction to our Lord’s command, “Use not vain repetitions.” For what is vain repetition, if this is not? What end of devotion does it serve? Again, Do not suffer the people to sing too slow. This naturally tends to formality, and is brought in by those who have very strong, or very weak voices. Is it not possible, that all the _Methodists_ in the nation should sing equally quick? Why should not the assistant see that they be taught to sing in every large society? And do this in such a manner, as to obviate the ill effects which might otherwise spring therefrom?