SERM. and fhew how the worthy Perfon deceas'd XIV. has alfo made it appear, by a Life of good

and virtuous Actions, that he fought a good Fight, finifbed his Courfe, and kept the Faith; and is gone where he will receive that Crown of Righteousness which is laid up in Heaven for him.

And here I am fenfible of the great Difficulties I labour under, by endeavouring to do Juftice to the Character of fo good a Man, who is the Occafion of this melancholy Solemnity. As I fhall certainly fail in paint ing that lively Image of him which is al ready fo well written in your Hearts, I muft intreat you to supply the Defect.

I am fatisfied how unequal I am to fo great a Task, and that you will now expect greater things than I am able to fay; and I must confefs, that a very ftrong Affection for the Deceas'd, now with God, whose Memory will always be dear to me, has in a great measure prevented me from faying as much as I was able: But I must depend upon you to fupply what is wanting out of the Abundance of your Hearts.

And now where fhall I begin? Which of the Virtues he was poffefs'd of shall I describe to you first, fince he equally poffef fed them all, and that to a Degree wherein

few

few others enjoy a fingle one? Whether SERM. we confider him as a Divine, a Gentleman, XIV. a Husband, a Father or a Friend, who can fay in which of these he most excell'd?

He had fo fweet a Mixture of the Gentleman and the Divine, that every thing he faid found an eafy Paffage to the Heart, and conquer'd the Prejudices of the most obdurate.

There grew up with him fuch a regular Piety, and fuch an unblemish'd Probity, that he fhewed Religion in the Beauty of Holinefs.

He made People in love with Religion; because they faw it in the Substance as well as the Letter, which he made appear by living over every Precept he taught others.

He had all the affable Sweetness and Humanity that Good Nature could give, and all the extensive Love and Charity of the Gospel. He was of a peaceable, lovely Difpofition; eafy in his Carriage, foft in his Addrefs, tender in his Nature, and full of the greatest Mercy and Compaffion.

He was an Enemy to no Man, but a Friend to all; for he was a Lover of Mankind, and endeavour'd, as much as it was poffible for one fingle Man to do, to promote the Happiness of all Men.

SERM. He was devout in his Prayers, and reXIV. gular and conftant in performing all the Duties of Religion. How conftant, how laborious a Dispenser he was of the Word of God, you, who enjoyed the Benefit of his Ministrations, know full well; and are Witneffes how faithful a Steward he was of the Work to which God had called him, even a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing theWord of Truth. Let me appeal to you, to you his forrowful Flock, to teftify what Care he took of you, and how much he fought your Good, your Peace, your Safety.

You know he preached the pure and uncorrupted Word of God, and both preached and kept the Faith according to the Scriptures. You, who are his Epiftle, as St Paul speaks, known and read of all Men, or rather the Epiftle of Chrift miniftred by him, you know how he laboured abundantly, and inftantly, not of Force, but of Choice. He did it willingly, not fo much by any other Conftraint, as that of Love to his Mafter and the Souls of Men. And when he ftood where I have the Honour and the Sorrow now to ftand, you are Wit neffes of the gentle Words that fell from his Lips, comforting the Dejected, and refreshing

freshing the fainting Soul by all the Powers SER M. of Perfuafion and Advice. XIV.

His Difcourfes were not calculated to tire the Patience, and bewilder the Understandings of his Auditors; but they were concise and pathetick. He was happy in the Choice of his Words, and not lefs fo in putting them together. He affected no useless Redundancy, nor fententious Brevity. avoided an extravagant Pomp of Words, as well as a Style that was mean and infipid. He kept a happy Medium between the two Extremes, and knew well what to say upon every Subject, and when he had faid enough,

He

Such was he; but, alas! he is now no more! Thofe Lips, that were wont to pour out the Word of Truth and Righteoufness, are now clofed up in Death. Yet weep not for him, he is happy, but for yourselves, that you are deprived of fo good a Paftor. I may fay with the Prophet, The righteous and merciful Man is taken away; but I cannot fay of his Departure, that no Man layeth it to Heart, fince there is fo much Weeping and Lamentation for the Lofs of him.

Where now fhall the poor Man find his Friend? To whom will the Distressed unfold their Trouble, and feek Relief?

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He is

gone,

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SERM. gone, and has left us here to mourn his XIV. Lofs! And indeed 'tis hard to fay which is greater, the Happiness he gave us while he was yet with us, or the Sorrow and Uneafinefs when he left us.

But let us view him alfo in the domeftic Relations of Life; and here we shall find him cafy, gentle, and tender-hearted. He was a tender Husband, and an indulgent Father. And, as a Bleffing confequent upon it, a mutual Return of Love and Duty was conftantly paid him by a most tender obliging Partner, and most dutiful and lovely Children. If we confider him likewife as a Friend; he had all the good Qualities that were necnffary to do kind Offices, and to establish a firm and lafting Friendship.

One thing was very remarkable in him: He was always cheerful and in good Humour; and never fo eafy and well pleased, as when he had been doing good,

His Converfation turned always upon the Agrecable; and he had an extraordinary Quality, very peculiar to him, of contributing, as much as he could, to the Happiness of those he converfed with, by faying every thing that was pleafing and acceptable; and this he did to those who were prodigioufly his Inferiors, as I myself