148 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



the ministers of reconciliation between God and 

 man ; to preach that Gospel by which men 

 shall be saved or damned eternally ; and to 

 administer those sacraments which are the keys 

 of the kingdom of heaven. That the best of 

 men, the most learned, the most virtuous, the 

 most pious, were not sufficient for these things ; 

 yet so gracious was God, that he did accept 

 the endeavours of all honest men, who do in 

 sincerity the best they can for his service ; but 

 then it did infinitely concern them to do the 

 best they could ; to apply themselves seriously 

 to the work to which they have given them- 

 selves up, and to make that their business ivhich 

 they had made their calling; assuring them, 

 that it was a calling of so much employment, 

 that if they meant to discharge it with a good 

 conscience, they would not have much room for 

 the prosecution of any other. He begged of 

 them to read the Scriptures constantly, to study 

 them closely, and to take to their assistance 

 such other good books as might tend towards 

 making them masters of their profession, and 

 enable them to give an answer to every one 

 that asked them a reason of the faith which 

 they held ; and to give evidence to all they 

 conversed with, that in point of learning and 

 knowledge, they deserved the character they 

 bore." 



