feffors. And this for the advantage of fending men into the world while they may be useful, and the procuring a quicker fucceffion.

Heads of colleges and profeffors to be chofen as -now; but from any college or place whatsoever, and to be approved by the bishop of the diocefe where the founder lived: and in all royal foundations by the king.

Discipline to be ftrict, but not rigorous, prayers not to be too long, nor too early: fhort prayers at nine at night in winter, and ten in fummer, for all to be prefent at.

Scholars to be encouraged to do their duty rather than forced, especially in the cafe of the communion, which fhould at least be monthly. Fellows to be obliged to frequent the publick worship as well as the scholars.

The college fervants to be inftructed and catechized, either in their several parishes, or colleges, and to frequent the prayers.

Scholaftic difputations about modern controverfies in divinity, to be changed into lectures on the fcriptures, or moft primitive writers, &c. Preachers not to meddle with ftate affairs farther

than the gospel directly requires or allows. No modern systems of divinity to be followed; but the original languages of the Bible, and most ancient authors, with fuch later helps as are neceffary to the understanding of them, to be recommended.

Admiffions into colleges to be better taken care of. No uncertain fyftems of philofophy to be recommended; but mathematics, and experiments. to be prefer❜d.

None in holy orders, nor under-graduates to go to taverns or public houfes at all, without particular bufinefs with ftrangers there, and at

early

early hours.

Others to be reftrained from

much frequenting the fame.

All under-graduates to be in their feveral colleges by nine at night in winter, and ten in fummer: and all graduates within an hour after.

New galleries to be built at St. Mary's to hold all the scholars, and the colleges to go thither on Lord's-Days in order, as they do now to Clerums.

None to have teftimonials for orders till they have studied the scriptures and antiquity for three

years.

No treats for degrees to exceed a certain fmall fum, to be fixed for them.

All pecuniary punishments to go to the charityschools, or poor of the parishes in Cambridge.

April 15, 1717.

But to proceed :,

WILL. WHISTON.

While I was an under-graduate at Cambridge, I used to note down the heads of the fermons I heard there, with the preachers names, and the opinion I then had of their performances, which I have ftill by me. In which I had a peculiar regard for those preached by Mr. afterward bishop Fleetwood, by Mr. Gervafe Needham, of Emanuel college, at St. Mary's, and at Sturbridge fair; and a fingle fermon of Dr. Gouge's (the fon of that Mr. Gouge, the apostle of the Welch, whofe funeral fermon was preached by archbishop Tillotson) before the university, at St. Mary's, Feb. 8, 1690.

And fince I have ftill preferved ten religious Meditations of mine, which I wrote in the five first years of my refiding in Cambridge, between 1686 and 1691; I fhall here infert them.

MEDITATION S.

Dec. 19, 1686.

I. Upon the fcandalous Lives of many Minifters.

Have always look'd on fuch men, who have taken upon them this facred function, and thereby not only oblig'd themselves to a good life, but also taken upon themselves the care of a multitude of other fouls, of which they must give a strict account at the great day to be the most despicable and miferable of mankind, when they do not only neglect the care of thofe committed to them, but by their excefs in drinking, or their careless, loose, and pleasurable converfation, prove the greatest temptation to all under their charge and conduct; nay, and to all others, that obferve them; and do more encourage them in their fins by their ill example, yea, perhaps by one fingle inftance of debauchery, than they can diffuade them from them by all thofe long harangues and difcourfes from the word of God, which from the pulpit they make unto them. For there is fcarce any man of fo dull apprehenfion, but will reason thus: If this man believed himfelf in what he preaches to us, if he really believed that there is fuch a great reward for the godly, and punishment for the wicked in another world; and that the word of God requires fuch ftrictness and conftant carefulness in the keeping its commands, to be fure he would be more temperate in drink, and more exact and careful of his converfation, and not live as the reft of the careless world do, who fcarce believe any thing in earneft of a world to come and then, perhaps, he thinks he has reafon to conclude, that, in reality, he does not believe what he declares to them, but preaches only

for

for a livelihood, as other perfons follow their trades to get a fubfiftance. Oh how fad will the account be one day for fuch paftors, who inftead of being an example to their flocks, of fobriety, contempt of the pleasures, riches, and honours of the world, heavenly-mindedness, self-denial, and all other chriftian virtues, fhall be found to be one great occafion of their eternal ruin and deftruction! When even their very tythes and maintenance, which was appointed for the use of perfons to take care of the people's fouls, fhall rise up in judgment againft fuch as received them, but never took care to difcharge that duty which fuch plentiful provifions required at their hands!

O bleffed God, if thou pleaseft to lengthen out my life, and to call me to ferve thee in the miniftery, to which my father has devoted me, I humbly befeech thee, to make me fenfible of the weight of the charge I undertake, and careful and confcientious in the difcharge of the fame; and efpecially that I may by my good example conftantly edify and inftruct my flock, and do my utmost diligence both to fave myself and them that hear me; through Jefus Chrift our Saviour. Amen.

February 6, 1686.

II. Of the Neglect of the Sabbath [or Lord's-Day.}

Think 'tis a true obfervation of fome, that 'tis

one of the first fruits or figns of a perfon's conversion, to be careful in a ftrict obfervation of the Lord's-Day, or Chriftian Sabbath; and then, by the rule of contraries, it must be a fign of a careless and prophane temper to difregard and flight the fame: which, alas! is too common even among the learned themfelves, who feem too much to have loft the fenfe of their duty as to the keeping boly

this

、this day; and is, methinks, one of the worft prefages and forebodings of fome future judgment impendent on this land. The eminent judge Hales obferves that he had long taken fpecial notice that, according to his ferioufnefs or carelefnefs on the fabbath, fo on the week following his temporal concerns did profper or not; God immediately rewarding his care of keeping holy the fabbath, by the profperous fuccefs of his affairs the week following; as you may fee in his directions to his children about the fabbath. And furely when we by experience find the well fpending of that day to be fo beneficial to our fouls, too apt to be clogg'd and taken up by the business, and cares, and pleasures, of this world; unless we set apart fome times on purpose, wherein, withdrawing ourselves from the world, we may have leifure and opportunity to take care of our fouls, and prepare for another world: and when we find God had ordain'd one day in seven for his immediate fervice, even immediately after the creation, which command was never, I fuppofe, abrogated, but only changed, inafmuch as the refurrection of our Saviour was such a fignal mercy as made the apoftles think fit, (I fuppofe by the direction of the fpirit of God) to alter the Jewish Sabbath to the chriftians Lord's-Day, that we might in particular remember the refurrection of Chrift, as they did the creation of the world; I fay, when we find it both a duty and an exceeding benefit, it may justly seem a wonder that it should be fo publickly and openly profaned, even when the laws of the land are so good and fevere as to the obfervance of it: and, if not repented of, I much fear God will, by fome judgment, (perhaps fire) revenge himself on a finful and difobedient people. For certainly the fanctification of this day cannot confift with that carnal ease, mirth, and rejoicing, which on this day is now grown too common among us.

[N. B.