But though all this be true, 'tis all nothing to the point in hand; for though Chrift died for all, yet all have not a like or equal ground of Hope: Tho' the Death of Jefus be fufficient. to atone for the fins of all, yet all are not actually pardoned: The Question therefore is, what gives Men a good Claim and a juft Title to the Benefits of Chrift's paffion; and what is the cleareft proof of the goodness of our Claim; and then nothing is more evident than that this is a faithful difcharge of the Duties of Life, a finishing the works God gives us to do. These are the proper effects of faving Knowledge, and a faving Faith; These are the very Effentials of Repentance towards God; These are the kindly Operations of Love unfeigned; These are the proper tokens of the Divine presence, and the Refidence of God's Spirit within us; These laftly are the natural and genuine fruits of an enlightned understanding, and renew'd mind: Thefe therefore are the best proofs and evidences of our claim to all the Benefits of Chrift's Death and Merits, and confequently the most Ra tional Foundation of our Peace and Comfort in our Latter end. This is

evident

evident from the Examples of all Righteous and good men, whose Comfort in Death is wont to be proportion'd to the Piety and Sincerity of their Lives; hence (not to multiply Inftances) that of Saint Paul, 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finifht my Course, 1 have kept the Faith; henceforth, there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousneß, which the Lord the Righteous Judge fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to them alfo that love his appearing. Here we have the confident expectation of a Crown, but 'tis a Crown of Righ teousness; and if we examine the ground of this confidence of St. Paul, it is, that War which he profperoufly waged, those conflicts which he had fuccessfully maintain'd against the World, the Flesh and the Devil; his Indefatigable Perfeverance in the Race of Vertue and Goodness set before him: And finally, his ftedfaft and unfhaken adherence to the Faith of Chrift, in defpight of all the malice and fury, with which he was affaulted.

Thus have I briefly infifted on the words of my Text, as referving room for that which is a moft fair and lively Comment on it, the Life of our de

ceas'd

ceas'd Friend. And here, in pursuance of my method, I fhould be obliged to begin with an account of his behaviour, in his particular profeffion; but having refolv❜d to say nothing, but what I either personally know, or have full and unquestionable proof of, I will país over this part of his Life, as that to which, I am in a great measure a stranger; though I cannot forbear recommending to you two Rules, which he thought neceflary for the Christian Conduct of Trade. First, That Traders fhould carefully avoid the grafping at, and embracing fo much bufinefs, as fhould make their Trade encroach and intrench upon their Religion, that they should not fuffer their time and their hearts to be engross'd by the love and purfuit of Worldly gain, to the neglect and ruin of their Eternal Intereft. Secondly, That they fhould propose and defign an Increase of their Charity in proportion to the Increase of their Wealth. And now I proceed to the Life of our departed Friend, with regard to the general Obligations he lay under as Man and Chriftian, wherein we meet with these two things confiderable, His Religion towards God, and his Charity towards Man. These two divided and fha

red

red his whole Life between them, there being very few Actions of it which might not be referred to the one or other, as the fcource and Principle of them.

First, of his Religion towards God. This was that to which he dedicated and devoted himself betimes; He remembred his Creator in the days of his Touth; Nor was he more early than conftant in this, for he perfifted stedfast in it to the end; his Religion had no Interruption, no Intermiffion; I could never find that there was any the leaft period of his Life, which he abandon'd and gave up to an Indulgence of fin and folly. 'Tis true, as you all know, he was fometime mifled in point of Judgment; but 'tis as true that under all the changes of Times and Opinions he retain'd his Sincerity and his Zeal. An Opinion of greater ftricnels of Life, and a more lively relish and favour of fpiritual things a mongst those of the feparation first tempted him out of the bofom of our Church and a deep fenfe of the manifold Impieties and dreadful mischiefs which attended feparation firft mov'd him to return to us; for this rais'd many fcruples and perplexities in him, and made him reasonably doubt that God could

not

The

not be the Author of that way. method he afterwards took for a full and just Information, of himfelf; namely impartial Examination of our best writings, conference with our Ableft men, together with inceffant prayers to God for the Illumination of his Spirit, the time and manner of his Return, his open acknowledgment of his errour, his publick profeffion of Repentance, his folemn and earneft Invitation of others to return to the paths of Truth and Peace, and his fuccefsful Industry in recovering thofe whom he had been Inftrumental to pervert, fufficiently demonstrate the Sincerity and Integrity of his heart: And those two excellent Treatifes he has writ for the disabufing thofe of the Separation, have made an abundant Compensation for the Errours he was betray'd into through frailty and weakness of Judgment.

But I come now to his Religion, fuch as it was fince I knew him, and fo I'll fay fomething of his own perfonal behaviour towards God, and of his zeal to propagate the fear of God among o

thers.

As to his own behaviour, the Chara&ter of the Godly man in the Pfalmist F

was