peafed  to  you  not  lefs  urgent  than  obvious.  Egotifrri
does  not  confift  merely  in  the  ufe  of  the  monofyl-
lable  "  I :"  it  may  be  difficult,  but  it  is  not  impof-
iible,  for  a  man  to  fpeak  of  himfelf  (as  of  any  other
perfbn  or  thing)  without  either  vanity  or  odentation  :
we  deierve  ceniure  only  when  we  bring  ourfelves  for-
ward unneceilarily,  or  improperly.  The  character
of  a  miniderof  the  word  of  God  is  not  a  mere  per-
ibnal  concern  :  he  owes  it  to  the  flock  over  whom
he  is  appointed,  to  preferve,  not  only  himfelf,  but  his
character  alfb,  unfpotted  from  the  world:  to  repel  a
perfonal  dander  is  in  him  more  than  a  common  duty ;
becaufe  the  refutation  is  neceflary,  not  only  to  his
own  welfare,  but  to  the  fuccefs  of  his  miniftry.
Suffer  me,  then,  after  this  fair  appeal  to  yourfelves
that  I  have  been  much  wronged  by  fome  very  con-
fident reports  refpecling  my -lad  Difcourfe,  (which
alfo  I  can  farther  prove  by  a  reference  to  the  manu-
fcript  dill  in  my  pofleffion) — differ  me,  I  fay,  to  go  on,
and  both  now  and  hereafter,  undifmayed  by  cenfurers,
(whofe  threats  are,  I  hope,  as  impotent  as  they  them-
felves  are  unjud,)  to  deliver  to  you  fuch  doclrines
and  exhortations  as  the  exigencies  of  the  times  and
your  particular  circumftances  may  feem  to  require.
