SERM. He was devout in his Prayers, and reXIV. gular and conftant in performing all the Duties of Religion. How conftant, how laborious a Difpenfer 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 afhamed, rightly dividing the Word 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. Tou, who are his Epiftle, as St Paul speaks, known ana 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 re

freshing

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 concife 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. He avoided an extravagant Pomp of Words, as well as a Style that was mean and insipid. He kept a happy Medium between the two Extremes, and knew well what to say upon every Subject, and when he had faid enough.

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 shall the poor Man find his
Friend? To whom will the Diftreffed unfold
their Trouble, and feek Relief?
Pp 2

He is

gone,

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 moft 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 cafy 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 saying every thing that was pleafing and ac ceptable; and this he did to those who were prodigioufly his Inferiors, as I myself

have

have often experienc'd. By which means SERM. none ever went difpleafed out of his Com- XIV. pany, unless it was that they were obliged to go out of it at all. And such a Quality as this must be founded upon a great deal of Judgment, as well as an extraordinary Degree of Humanity and Good Nature. He had a very good Knowledge of Men, and I fhould have thought him very little fubject to Miftake, had he not pitch'd upon me to appear on this Occafion.

He was the most eafy of Access of any Man living, because his great Candour and Charity difpofed him to think well of all. No Man loved his Friends better; and he would have rejoiced to have forgiven his Enemies, had he any to forgive; but none were Enemies to him; even Envy itself founded a Trumpet to his Fame, tho' it blafted the Character of every other Perfon. And however People difagreed and differ'd in other Matters, yet they all joined in Admiration of him, and ftrove who could do the greatest Juftice to his Character. Infomuch as I have hardly ever heard him named without being called a good Man, and Malice itself was forced to confefs it.

How did all People make his Welfare their own Concern, and fhew Sorrow in their Counte

SER M. Countenances during the Time of his Sick-
XIV. nefs! And fure if Prayers, and Tears, and

Wishes, or any thing that Man could do,
would have prevailed, he had never died.
He was wife without Affectation; pious
without Superftition;
courteous without
Diffimulation; generous without Prodiga-
lity. Whenever he did a good Thing for
any one, he seemed to be doing a Favour
to himself; and would never admit of any
other Return than the Satisfaction of his
own Mind upon the doing it. To fee him
was to love him; and to converse and be
acquainted with him, was to be as happy.
as Innocence, and Goodnefs, and Virtue
could make one. Upon his Face dwelt fuch
a Serenity and Chearfulness of Temper, that
whoever wanted a Favour of him found it
half granted in his Countenance even before
it was asked; and when it so happened that
he could not grant it, I won't fay his De-
nial, but his not granting was courteous and
obliging, and made the Petitioner in a kind.
of Doubt whether he had it granted or no..

Such was his Humanity! fuch his Candour fuch his---what fhall I call it? Here I must beg Leave to put you in mind. of the Indulgence I have desired of you; for I find I want Words to exprefs myself

and