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 Mistake, had he not pitch'd upon me to appear on this Occafion.

He was the moft eafy of Access of any Man living, because his great Candour and Charity disposed 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 SickXIV. 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 Prodigality. 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 converfe and be acquainted with him, was to be as happy. as Innocence, and Goodness, 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 Denial, 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 muft beg Leave to put you in mind. of the Indulgence I have defired of you; for I find I want Words to exprefs myself,

and

and can only fay, that I would to God that SERM only I, but all those that hear me this Day, XIV. were altogether fuch as he was.

do I tell you of these things?

But why

You are

beforehand with me in all this, and can teftify the Truth of what I fay, and a great deal more; for, lo! the one half of his vir tuous Qualities has not been told you.

As for you, if any fuch are here present, who had not the Happiness to know him, I will tell you how you may know him yet; Think of every thing that is virtuous, lovely, and of good Report; abftract in your Minds all the amiable and desirable Qualities of a just and good Man, like the Rays of Light collected into a Point, and fhining with the greater Luftre. Think of every thing that is apt to captivate the Affections, and to get irresistibly the Dominion of every Heart: In fhort, think of every thing that is good, and that was he.

Thus have I given you, tho' very imperfectly, the Character of this extraordi→ nary Perfon, and fhewn you with how much Luftre he fhined in every Part of I Life, with how much Honour he filled every Station of it. Some Acknowledgment his Merit when he was advanced to a Dignity in the Church; and

indeed was paid to

tho'

SERM. tho' he was not at all fond of Honour and XIV. Greatnefs, yet every one was convinced that

he deserved much greater Things, and that he would have done Honour to the higheft Station of Life in which he could poffibly be placed. And I believe by this time you are fatisfied that he has fought a good Fight, in overcoming the World by a happy and heavenly Temper, and that he has finished his Courfe in all the Capacities of a good Christian and a Divine, and that he kept the Faith pure and entire. For he never handled the Word of God deceitfully, nor of Men fought he Glory. And you may be also certain, that henceforth there is laid up for him a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, fhall give him, as a Reward for all his Labours.

I fee I need not ask your Tears, Sorrow hath filled your Heart, and fad Affliction hangs upon your Countenances, like the Believers, who at St. Paul's Departure from them, wept bitterly, forrowing most of all, that they should fee bis Face no more. But I forbear to open that Stream of Affliction that flows fo freely of itself. And now what fhall I fay to comfort you?

You have

nothing left to do now, I think, but to confider which Way you may best do Ho.

nour

nour to his Memory; which, I think, will SERM. be in following his Example, and making XIV. that glorious Character, which I have been imperfectly defcribing, fhine forth in every Action of your Lives.

You, who loved him (and who, that knew him, did not ?) fhould make it appear by your endeavouring to be like himYou, who were his Flock, would do well to obferve all the good Inftructions he gave you. Let all his good and feasonable Admonitions fink deep into your Hearts; and remember the Words which he fpake unto you while he was yet with you. And let us all endeavour to improve fuch Providences as these to our Advantage: Let it ferve to fhew us, that neither Wisdom nor Goodnefs can keep a Man from the Grave, nor cut off the Entail of Death. There is no Truft to be put even in the Lives of Kings, nor any Confidence in Princes, but all muft fooner or later shake off this earthly Tabernacle: And then to whom fhall we fly for Succour but to God, who is both able and willing to prepare a Place of Happiness for all fuch as put their Truft in him; and to grant, that after we have paffed through all the Changes and Chances of this mortal Life, and that when this Corruption bath

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