I. WHen a pestilential Distemper was raging in Africk, the holy Father S. Cyprian takes occasion from thence to encourage the Christians against the fear of Death; and to set before them such Consolations as were pro­per [Page 2]for this Calamity: he assures them thatAmplecta­mur diem, q [...]i assignat singu­los d [...]micilio suo; qui nos istinc ereptos, & laqueis se­cularibus ex­solutos paradi­so restituit & regno coelesti. De Mortal. The day of their decease would restore them to Paradise, and to the Kingdom of Heaven; and the concluding Argument that he useth, is to remind them of the excellent Company they should meet with in the other world, immediately upon their departure from hence: There is waiting for us above (saith he) a great number of our dearest Friends; our Parents, and Brethren, and Children are all desiring our access to them; and being now secur'd of their own immorta­lity, they are still solicitous for our Salvation; and what a common rejoycing will it be both to them and us, to have the sight and embraces of one another? And then he goes on to speak of the Apostles, and Pro­phets, and Martyrs, and Virgins, that we shall find in the heavenly Mansions: as if nothing could be more desirable than to hasten thither with all pos­sible speed; Quis non ad suos navigare festinans, ventum prosperum cupidiùs optaret, ut velocitèr caros liceret amplecti? Thus we see this glorious Martyr discoursing with such earnestness of the next life; as if he were then hoisting up his Sails, and lanch­ing forth into the Ocean of Eternity: and he is the more to be hearkned to, because he had receiv'd (as he tells us) immediateNobis ipsis minimis quo­ties revela­tum est, ut publicè praedicarem fratres nostros non esse lugendos accersitione Dominicâ de seculo libera [...]s; nec accipiendas esse hic atras vestes, quando illi ibi indumenta alba sam sumserint? Ibid. revelation from God, [Page 3]concerning the happiness of departed Souls: and from what he hath said, in conjunction with others, we may gather it to have been the more approv'd Opinion of the Primitive Church, that the Spirits of righteous Men go directly to Hea­ven; and the Fathers who speak otherwise, and favour an intermediate Estate, seem to have done it upon their own peculiar Notions; as they might inoffensively do, in a Matter not clearly decided by the light of Scripture. The comfort which that admirable Father gives to the Christi­ans of his Age, is very seasonable for us at this time; when God, in his unsearchable Judgment, hath remov'd from us so many eminent Persons; and particularly within the space of a week,Mr. Wharton March 5. Dr. Scott, Mar. 10. Dr. Dove, Mar. 11. three of the greatest Ornaments of our Church; as it were in attendance upon the untimely Obsequies of that blessed Queen, (that bright Luminary of Religion and Vertue) whose delight it was to pro­tect and adorn it. However we must with humble submission adore the Justice of God: and we hope that he intends not War against us by calling his Servants home; that he will now accept of a Sacrifice, and that some of these holy Prophets will prevail with him to stop the hand of his destroying Angel. Turn us, O God of our salva­tion, Psal. [...]xxx [...] 4, 5, 6. and cause thine anger towards us to cease: Wilt [Page 4]thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoyce in thee? Doubtless he will revive us, and speak peace unto us; if we attend to what he hath spoken to us, and turn not again to folly: and what he speaks to us upon this mournful occasion; what thoughts and resolutions he expects from us; and what our Eloquent Brother would speak to us, if he were not now silent; we may hear from the Apostle: Our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

II. In which words I shall desire you to consider these two Points: First, A duty represented, and that is to have our Conversation in Heaven: And secondly, an incitement to it from the Considera­tion of our future bliss. I begin with the Duty which is intimated in my Text, namely the having of our Conversation in Heaven: for the Explica­tion whereof I shall briefly insist upon these two Heads: First, What is imported hereby; And secondly, How reasonable it is to act accordingly. First, let us observe what is imported by having our Conversation in Heaven: the word is [...], [Page 5]and seems here to signifie the Rights and Immunities of a Citizen; and to intimate that we are by Profession Citizens of that glorious Corporation which is above, and ought to demean our selves as such, that we may not lose the Freedom and Privileges belonging to it: this is a continuing City, Heb. 13.1 [...]. and [...] C [...]m. [...]; and a City which hath foundations; as the Apostle calls it: and a very learned Father tells us, that the Stoicks would allow Heaven only to be pro­perly a City, no Community upon Earth deserving that name. [...]. [...]. Jud. p. 196. 'Tis a fair conjecture that our Apostle doth here more particularly allude to the dignity of the Freemen of Rome, which in his days was mighti­ly esteem'd, and enjoy'd by many that were not born there, and liv'd in Countries very remote: and this resembleth the condition of Christians, who are Naturaliz'd and Incorporated into another City, even while they remain at such a distance from the place of their Liberty, and are labour­ing under the servitude of this present Life.

III. To explain the compass of the Duty be­fore us, we may take notice, that it includes the three following steps; First, a due Esteem of the Happiness of the next Life: Secondly, the kindling of our desires and affections towards the attainment of it: and Thirdly, a Conversation answerable thereunto. First, we are to esteem the Felicity of [Page 6]the next Life, suitably to what we know of it; we are not to diminish our concern for it, because it flatters not our Sensuality, is a pure and invi­sible Possession; and we are to follow our Saviour's Judgment, comparing it to treasure hid in a field, for which a wise Purchaser will sell all that he hath: and to a Pearl of great price, Mat. 13.44, 45. and 16.26. which a Merchant find­ing expos'd to Sale, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it: and assuring us, that if a man could gain the whole world by losing his own soul, he would make a very foolish Bargain. 'Tis possible, I confess, for Men that are wholly taken up with the Distractions and Enjoyments of this present World, to have a speculative Regard for those Felicities which are promis'd to us hereafter; and in their lucid Intervals, to think them more valuable than those weak and empty satisfactions, which they are so eager in pursuing. But still whatever the Judgment may be of cool Reason, the Opinions of Men are to be weigh'd by their Actions; and if sensual objects carry the Soul af­ter them, and are labour'd after with the warmest prosecutions, 'tis plain enough they are nearest to the heart, and preferr'd before the spiritual Joys of the life to come.

IV. Secondly, the having our Conversation in Heaven implies the seeking for it earnestly, and [Page 7]the inflaming of our desires and affections towards it for what we love and set a value upon, we are naturally willing to enjoy; and 'tis impossible that any man should have a true Notion of Heaven, and not wish to be possess'd of it hereafter: Only here lies the misery of deluded Sinners, that they would have it consistent with their Lusts and Pleasures, and attainable upon such terms as God cannot allow. But when Christ hath command­ed us to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Mat. 6.33.20.21. with preference to all other things, and to lay up our treasure in Heaven, that our heart may likewise be there: We are not to think of Heaven, as we would of a beautiful and magnificent City, where we have no business, and to which we never intend to go; but we are to look upon it, as the place to which we are Travelling, and where God hath provided for us the best Patrimony; and hereupon to anticipate the possession of it by our fervent wishes, and to be affected as the Psalmist was; My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? Psal 42.2. He that hath a rich Vessel coming home from the Indies, will be fre­quently grasping it in his mind, and hearkning continually after the tidings of it, and full of so­licitude till it safely arrives in the Harbour: and so the devout Soul that hath a lively Sense of the [Page 8]Glories of another Life, is ever looking towards them, and longing for an admission to them, and lifting up her Head with joyful expectation, be­cause her Redemption draweth nigh. Supposing we sincerely believe the Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting; it follows in a natu­ral Course, that we should be very desirous of attaining to this Immortality, and have strong In­clinations to dwell in the Habitations of Eternity; or else the Will doth not go after the Judgment with such ardency and sedulity, as it doth in se­cular pursuits: and 'tis a vain Profession that we make, I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

V. Thirdly, The having our Conversation in Heaven imports the living answerably to our hopes of Futurity; for otherwise they will be mi­serably disappointed, and without holyness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12.14. And this is not only the con­dition immutably fix'd, but is also necessary to dispose us for the relish of those pure and spiritual Pleasures; which can be no Paradise to an unclean Soul: and if we could imagine the rich Glutton, with all his vicious Appetites translated into the Portion of Lazarus, even the bosom of the Pa­triarch would have been to him a place of Tor­ment. God hath been unspeakably Merciful, in [Page 9]preparing an eternal Reward for us, upon such easie and just Conditions as he hath enabled us to perform; and in sending his Son to be our Guide, and our Sacrifice: but 'tis absurd to presume that we are bound to do nothing for this mighty re­compence; that we shall be wafted to bliss, while we lie sleeping in the Bark; that we may goe with unclean hands, and polluted hearts into the dwel­lings of purity; and that the blood of the ever­lasting Mediatour was shed for lazy, and impeni­tent sinners that trample upon his Cross. There is no Man so very brutal, but that he wisheth with himself, he might be happy after death; and if he hath not quite extinguish'd the Sparks of Na­tural Religion, and hath any glimpse of the im­mortality to come, he desires to be made partaker of it: but how many are in Hell, that during their abode here were hoping foolishly they might get to Heaven at last? And what can it avail to wish faintly, and slothfully for blessed­ness, without striving to obtain it, in the way which God hath appointed? It was the good and faithful servant, that improv'd the Ta­lents committed to him, and not the unprofi­table Loiterer, who enter'd into the joy of his Lord. Matth. xxv. 21, There is no mocking of God; and without serving him sincerely, there can neither be any [Page 10]comfort after death, nor dying with peace and satisfaction. Who can express the darkness and horrors of a death-bed, when men have liv'd dissolutely, and profanely; and their Old Vices are got together to haunt them like Spectres; and Conscience is awakened to Accuse and Condemn them; and the world deserting them, nothing remains but the guilt of their sins to pursue them immediately to the Bar of Justice? But no Con­solations are equal to those resulting from a life religiously spent; and the true Christian under the bitterest agonies of death hath a God to Con­verse with, and a Saviour before his Eyes, and an Eternity of Joy ready to receive him: and he can say with assurance,Psal. lxxiii.25, 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee: my flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

VI. I come now in the second place to evince the reasonableness of having our Conversation in Heaven: and that I may not trespass in staying upon such an undeniable Truth, I shall only men­tion these three Considerations. First, That our Christian Profession engageth us to this Holy tem­per; and by our Baptism we are born as it were into another World, and made the Citizens of Heaven; and consequently are oblig'd to the be­haviour [Page 11]of such: and he that honestly follows a Crucify'd Master, and renounceth the allurements of this World, must be suppos'd to have a prospect of the other,Co [...], [...]. where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Secondly, Heaven is the place for which we are created; and God in forming Man after his own Image, design'd him for the everlasting frui­tion of himself: innocent Men would have been Translated to a much higher Paradise; and we that are fallen know it to be the end of our Re­demption,Heb. xii. [...]2. that we should come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; and that we should inherit the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world. Mat. xxv. 34. Thirdly, Heaven is the place of the greatest happiness attainable by us; and not only inexpressibly beyond all these lower satisfactions, but also above our comprehension: for till we know the most extended capacity of the Soul, and what degrees of blessedness, what proficiency, what illuminations 'tis capable of; and till we know moreover how far God will discover himself in filling all the dimensions of it, and in raising it to the highest pitch of created Perfection; we cannot have a just, and propor­tionable Idea of that ineffable happiness, which is purchas'd for us by the blood of Christ. So much however God hath reveal'd to us concerning our [Page 12]future reward, as is sufficient to quicken our most active endeavours for it:Joh. iii. 2. It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when God shall ap­pear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is: and certainly the Vision of God's Essential Glories, which are unapproachable to us here, and the resemblance to his transcendent Nature; the beholding of him Face to Face, the dwelling within the Circle of his Throne, and the seeing of the Mysteries of Faith unvail'd; together with the consequential ardency of Affection towards God, and the loving, and admiring, and adoring of him proportionably to the light of the under­standing; all this is infinitely more worthy of our Ambition, than all the fading enjoyments of the World; and may engage us to be diligent in our Christian Race, and in working for Eternity.

VII. This will be further Evident from the second Point which I offer'd; namely the incite­ment given by our Apostle, from the consideration of our future bliss: Our conversation is to be in heaven, because we look for our Saviour's coming from thence in glory; to raise us up to an immortal life, and to change our vile, and infirm, and mouldering bodies, into such as will be of a noble and lasting Frame, and fashion'd after the pattern of his own Resurrection. In this Argument of our Apostle [Page 13]we may take notice of two Assertions; the first of them is, That this vile Body, which we carry a­bout here, is to rise again, and to be re-built after the likeness of the glorious Body of Christ: and if it were otherwise, 'tis not easily conceivable how the Doctrine of the Resurrection can be properly main­tain'd. For that only can justly be said to rise again which is fallen and buried in the earth: but the Soul is uncapable of dying; and therefore unless the same Body be reviv'd, unless there be a Resuscitation of that which was asleep in the Grave, we are in danger of losing the Resurrection. Did not Christ arise with the same Flesh that was Crucified, and retaining the very Print of the Nails? and are we not to be raised after the same model? and he hath told us, that all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, Joh. 5.28, 29. and shall come forth unto the Resurrection either of life, or of damnation: And his Apostle hath taught us, that this corruptible must put on incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.53. and this mortal must put on immortality: It shall put on a new Garment, and by consequence shall remain entire; and from hence the Identity of the corrupted, and the rising Body seems to be clearly reveal'd. If it be so, 'tis in vain to contradict it by Philo­sophical Cavils; for to support our belief, the A­postle minds of us Gods omnipotent strength, whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. [Page 14]The Power of God is but a weak Argument for the Truth of an Article of Faith, unless the Re­velations of his Will be clear and convincing; for otherwise by this Plea the most absurd monstrosities in Religion may be defended: but where the Di­vine Will is perspicuously declar'd, (as in the case of the Resurrection) the Omnipotence of God comes in for a seasonable, and sufficient reply to all the astonishing difficulties that our Reason can muster up. 'Tis, I confess, not easy to conceive, how the Members that have been consumed in the Grave, and scatter'd into a thousand places, and travell'd through all the Elements, should after many Ages reassemble their broken pieces, and shake off their rottenness, and reassume their antient Figure, and rise up into a beautiful Frame. But who can prescribe Limits to an Almighty Being? The thunder of his power who can understand? Job. 26.14. and since he hath promis'd to raise up Mankind, who can say to him, that it cannot possibly be? We know the infinite Power of God, in building this vast Universe, when he had no matter to work upon; and in fashioning Man, the Image of himself, out of the dust of the ground; and we cannot but admire the daily Miracles of his Providence, in continuing the successive Generations of Men, and Forming them all in the Womb: And then [Page 15]we may conclude, that he who hath done all this, is likewise able to recollect, and reanimate our putrify'd Bodies, and to over power all the obsta­cles that stand in his way:Act. xxvi. 8. And why should it be thought a thing incredible with us, that God should raise the dead?

VIII. The second Assertion in our Apostle is this; That there is to be a change in our Bodies at the Resurrection, and a likeness to the glorify'd Body of Christ: they are to be substantially the same, but cloth'd with a Robe of unknown Glory, and with new Endowments and Qualities, suitably to that Heavenly Life which they must enter into. The question was made in the days of our Apostle, How are the dead raised up? 1 Cor. xv. 35. and 42, 43, 44, and with what body do they come? and he not only clears the certainty of our Re­surrection, but also the conformity of it to that of Christ: and it was an oldHieron. Ep. 27. Tradition in the Church, that every Christian shall be raised up in the same ripeness of Age, as our Saviour was of at the time of his Passion. The body is sown in corruption, and raised in incorruption; that is, in this Life it hath the Seeds of dissolution, and upon the withdraw­ing of the Soul, must of necessity fall into dust and rottenness; but hereafter it will be subject to no decay, no frailty, and no misery, being fram'd of such a durable substance, as to prove an im­mortal [Page 16]Habitation to the returning Soul: It will not be pinch'd with necessities, and pains, and di­seases, nor troubled with daily repairs, and with pro­viding against the ruins of Mortality;Luk xx 35, 36 for they that shall be counted worthy to obtain the Resurrection of the dead, cannot die any more; as being equal to the An­gels, and the Children of God. Again, The body is sown in dishonour, and raised in glory; that is, a brightness, and lustre, and Majesty will over spread those Bodies, which are here of a despicable and mean aspect; especially when they are committed to the ground, with the pale and frightful Visage of Death, which turns the fairest Countenance into a spectacle of blackness and horrour: but in the Resurrection a fresh and unperishing Beauty shall dwell upon the exalted Body;Mat. xiii. 43. and then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father; they shall be surrounded with beams of perpetual Light resting upon them; and such a Resulgency there was in the face of Moses, when he came down from conversing with God in the Mount; and in the Transfiguration of Christ, when his face did shine as the Sun, and his raiment was white as the light. Matt. xvii. 2. Again, The body is sown in weakness, and raised in power; that is, those Indis­positions and Infirmities which beset the Flesh in our present Estate, and make it a dull and slug­gish, [Page 17]and cumbersom lump, shall then be remo­ved; and there shall be no clogs and fetters of the Soul, to obstruct her operations. Here we are too sensible, how backward the Flesh is to obey the Spirit: and even in our approaches to God we find a heaviness and deadness upon us from the reluctancy of it; and we are soon tir'd even by the best performances: but the glorify'd Body will be an equal Companion to the Soul, and nimbly execute whatever is fitting for it, and fly with the wings of an Angel upon any superiour call, and joyn with unwearied delight in the ne­ver ceasing work of the Saints, and in the ado­rations of God. Lastly, the body which is sown is natural; that is, invested with such Faculties, and Appetites, and Inclinations, as are peculiarly fitted to this lower World; but it is raised a spiritual body; that is, adorn'd with celestial Qualities, and ac­commodated to that Divine Employment, which is to entertain us everlastingly in the next Life. Here the unruly, headstrong Body is very difficult to be manag'd; but when it shall be Spiritualiz'd, and purified, and adapted to the Joys of Heaven, it will be at perfect amity with the Soul, and tun'd for ever to the Hallelujahs of the Spirits above.

IX. This is that blessedness which is to inspire us with vigour in all the exercises of a Christian Life, and to prepare us with alacrity for a Chri­stian Death: but lest it should be objected, that this is not an adequate encouragement in our fears, and losses, and calamities; for if we must wait for happiness, till the second coming of our Lord, and the reassumption of our Bodies; what is there to rebate the apprehensions of death? why should we not be unwilling to quit our present satisfactions, for those which are not to come till after a long, and uncertain period? and what ground is there of thanks to God for the departure of our friends? for the preventing of such objections, I shall subjoin this Considera­tion to what hath been said; That Righteous Souls depart from hence into a State of Felicity. We cannot trace the motions of the naked Soul, nor see the Angels that conduct it: but an intelligent and immortal Substance, wherever it is, must un­doubtedly have a suitable Habitation, and live, and think, and contemplate; and probably with more freedom, and vivacity, than in these Cot­tages of Clay. But to suppose it in a slumbering, and unactive Estate; and much more to suspect the vanishing of it, is to degrade our selves below the conceptions of the Heathen World, and to resist the natural Impressions of Conscience: [Page 19] Natura ipsa de immortalitate animorum tacita judi­cat, Cicero. saith the Roman Orator. Wherefore we justly believe, that the Spirits of Righteous Men are in some active, and joyful Repose; sensible of their present bliss, and expecting fuller degrees of it: they know themselves to be deliver'd from the troubles, and sorrows of mortality, from the tossings of the World, and the entanglements of Sin; they enjoy God with more familiarity, than they could here in the most exalted raptures of Devotion; and looking beyond the circle of time, they behold a brighter Eternity moving towards them, and a triumph of Glory preparing for them: and then how can we doubt of their having a present Reward? how can we attend upon them, and not congratulate their Joy? What Communica­tion they have with us, God hath been pleased to hide from us, and probably to prevent our Addresses to them: but we may presume their Love towards us is equally enlarg'd with the rest of their Graces; and possibly they [...]. Orig. de Orat. §. 34. [...]. Id. Ex. ad Mart. p. 192. [...]. Basil. Hom. 20. [...]. Greg. Nyss. Orat. in XL Mart. Speramus quòd liberis suis apud Christum praeful a [...]stat. Ambros. de obit. Theodos. Pro te Dominum rogat, mihique veniam impetrat peccatorum. Hieron. Ep. 25. intercede for us, though not in a sacerdotal way, (as Christ alone [Page 20]can doe) yet in the way of Charity, as Members of the same Body with us. We acknowledge to God in our Publick Prayers, that the spirits of just men made perfect do live with him, after they are deliver'd from their earthly prisons; and the souls of them that sleep in the Lord Jesus, are receiv'd into the heavenly habitations, and enjoy perpetual felicity: and if Lazarus was carried to Abraham's bosom; Luk. xvi. 22. if the penitent Thief went from the Cross with our Sa­viour into Paradise; Luk. xxiii. 43. Act. vii. 59. if S. Stephen had reason to pray,Phil. i. 23. Lord Jesus receive my spirit; if the Apostle was willing to depart, that he might immediately be with Christ; and if the souls of the Martyrs are under the heavenly Altar, Rev. vi. 9, 10, 11. clothed in white robes, and Communicating with God; then we may be confident of the delightful rest ofConfecto iti­nere virtutis, ac fidei, ad complexum & osculum Do­mini venerunt Cyprian. Ep. 37. edit. Oxon. [...]. Clem. Alex. 1. 4. [...]. Basil. Ep. 188. Fruitur nunc Theodosius luce perpetuâ, tranquillitate diuturnâ, & mune­rationis divinae fructibus gratulatur. Ambros. de obit. Theod. Testor Jesum, quem Blaesilla nunc sequitur; testor sanctos angelos, quorum consortio fruitur. Hieron. Ep. 25. Saints de­parted, and follow them with acclamations to the seat of blessedness.

X. This is the proper Consolation for us, upon parting with that excellent Man, in whose place I now stand; who was so well known, and respected in this Audience, that it would be vanity in me to offer at his Character, unless I could praise him in [Page 21]his own Eloquence: and yet before we leave him in the House of Silence, it may justly be expected that I should do some right to his Memory, and enforce some instructive Lessons from his great Example. In doing so, I shall not pretend to draw the Lines of his History, nor mention any common, and undistinguishing attainments, nor use any Art in setting him forth; but with a simpli­city fit for this place, and suitable to his unaffected life, I shall briefly consider him in these two Heads; his Private Vertues, and his Services for the Church. He had many Vertues of no ordinary growth: and we may call them to mind, by re­viewing his much applauded Work of the Christian Life: which he intended to Continue, and Perfect, if Providence had not put a stop to his useful design, first by a long Craziness, and then by taking him suddenly from us. Next to his Piety towards God, his Social Vertues (as his own distin­ction is) were those for which we shall be most sen­sible of our loss in him; for his Kindness, and Hu­manity, and amicable Disposition, and Affability, and pleasantness of Temper, and Condescension, and Sincerity, and readiness to do all good Offices for any that had recourse to him. In helping others, and laying out for their advantage the Authority which he had gain'd; in giving Coun­sel, [Page 22]and Directions; and in Cementing Amity and Peace, he exhausted very much of his time; and delighted as much in doing any friendly turn, as if the profit had redounded to himself. In Works of Mercy he took a peculiar Pleasure; and did as zealously promote them, as if he had re­liev'd himself by supporting the Poor: he was a Common Father to the persecuted and afflicted; and the Brethren, 3 Joh. v. 6. and Strangers, whose Bowels he hath refresh'd, will bear witness of his Charity before the Church. Friendship is one of the noblest Orna­ments of Human Nature; and if God himself is Love, 1 Joh. iv. 16. 'tis the Portraiture of God drawn upon the Soul: and for this Vertue he was exceedingly valu'd by those that were intimate with him; he was not infected with any of those Vices which blast it, with Pride, or Moroseness, or Envy, or Selfishness; his inclinations were to refresh and cherish all Men, and only to neglect himself: his Doors, and his Heart were open to all; and he hath left behind him the indelible commenda­tion of a true, and stedfast, and faithful Friend.

XI. Again, let us look upon him in his Pub­lick Character;Dan. xii 3. and if they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and they that turn many to Righteousness, as the Stars for ever, and ever; we may be humbly confident [Page 23]of his having a proportionable reward. His Edu­cation happen'd to be in the times of Confusion, and yet without any detriment to him: for he imbib'd the Principles of that renown'd University in which he was bred, and not of the Men who then govern'd it; the same good Spirit, that call'd him thither from another Employment, directing him what to doe: and when the Church was cover'd in ruins, he discern'd her Beauty; and re­ceiv'd Holy Orders from one of those ejected Confessors, who during the devastation did secretly preserve the Apostolical Discipline. His ap­pearance in the World was early; and as God had furnish'd him with extraordinary Talents, and had enabled him to improve them well, and to possess Abilities equal to his high Profession; the same Divine Goodness chose a fitting Theatre for them to be manifested upon. His Eloquent, and Solid, and Fervent Preaching commanded the applauses of Men; and his constancy in it pro­cur'd their love: and though his frequency in this Work, and his diligence in his Pastoral Charge, and his industry in resolving Cases of Conscience, and his restless application to the labours of his Calling, wasted him by degrees; yet he could not be satisfy'd without doing his duty: and that which sent him the sooner to God, will enlarge [Page 24]his recompence from him. He ran his Course in times of great trial, and discrimination; and in all of them he approv'd his inflexible, and uncor­rupted integrity; and adher'd stedfastly to the Principles of our Church: and they will carry a Man safely through all difficulties, and all Revo­lutions; and though it should be his Lot to be revil'd, and oppress'd by Men, yet he cannot be dejected in Conscience, nor forsaken by God. He own'd it for his Rule, in all vicissitudes to keep a Clean and quiet Conscience; as knowing that this would be a Sanctuary, when all earthy Comforts should fail: and he remember'd the wise Maxim, He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds, shall not reap: Eccl. xi. 4. and therefore without minding the weather, or taking directions from the Sky, he went on directly in his Calling; and made it his business to sow to the spirit, that he might of the spirit reap life everlasting. Gal. vi. 8. When Popery invaded our Establish'd Religion, he was one of those worthy Champions that defended it with an upright Zeal: they held up their Shields together, and united their Counsels, and en­deavours as one Man: they saw their Diocesan (whom they mightily honour'd) singled out for the first Sacrifice, because he would not surrender them; they saw the Roman Eagle advancing every [Page 25]day, and fresh attempts made to demolish our Church; and then it was that by Preaching, and Praying, and Writing they gain'd an universal esteem, and supported our Holy Religion. In this Cause our Friend whom we are waiting upon did Cordially concur with his Brethren; and was pre­par'd to suffer as much as any of them. He un­derstood our Constitution entirely, and that made him the more hearty in asserting it upon all occa­sions; and (I trust) there is no man here but honours his memory the more for being so: for though our enemies have branded us for this con­stancy, and have been sowing Divisions, and put­ting ignominious marks of distinction between us; we cannot be so blind, as not to see the artifice is contriv'd, in order to the more easie subversion of all of us: and if a resolute adherence to well chosen Principles; if to defend that Liturgy, which we have solemnly testify'd our approbation of in the presence of God; if to be firm to our subscri­ptions, and to our Vows of Ordination; if to contend for the Faith once deliver'd unto the Saints, Jude 3. and for that Government by which we were consecrated to the Service of the Church, and which we believe to have been transmitted down to us from the A­postles; if this be a reproach, I fear, it will soon be counted a reproach to be a Christian. Our [Page 26]deceased Brother did therefore upon all emergencies maintain an unspotted fidelity to the Church; and acted consonantly to what he had profess'd con­cerning it,Epist. Ded. to the Bishop of London. in these words: Whatsoever her fate may be, I am chain'd to her Fortunes by my Reason, and Conscience; and shall ever esteem it more eligible to be crush'd in pieces by her Fall, which God avert, than to flourish, and triumph on her Ruins. This resolu­tion he kept to the last, and still with a peaceful, and charitable Spirit; and without aiming at his own interest through that of the Church: for when offers were made to him of higher Stations in the Church, he declin'd them upon the sense of de­cays creeping upon him; and he rejoyc'd more in the advancement of other worthy Men, than he would have done in his own. His inherent Great­ness wanted no outward accessions; and the Pre­ferment he was ambitious of, was to go from his Flock unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls. 1 Pet. ii. 25.

XII. Under his Protection, and Custody let us now leave him: and let us pray to God, to raise up new Instruments of his Glory; and to send forth more labourers into his harvest, Mat. ix 38. for those whom he hath call'd home to receive their wages. In him whom we now attend we have lost one, whom many of us respected as an Instructer, an Oracle, a Father to us: but we have still an [Page 27]Eternal, and Unchangeable God; and he can com­pensate all our losses; he can create Workmen, as well as appoint their Work; and he can say to the most unqualify'd of us, as he did to Joshua; As I was with Moses,Joh i. 5. so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. For a Conclusion, I shall add one word to you, in Ministring to whom this servant of God ended his Race: he came to you in his declining years, and with the disadvantage of suc­ceeding one of the most Eminent persons of our Church; and yet you honour'd, and lov'd him; and thought you still enjoy'd his Great Predecessour: and therefore if I were to speak in his name, it would be to return thanks for your kindnesses to him: but acting by a higher Commission, I shall rather desire you to express your regard to his me­mory, by obeying those good Instructions, which he brought from our Common Master to whom he is gone; and to remember the word of God, Heb. xiii. 7. which he hath spoken unto you; and to follow his faith, considering the end of his Conversation.

Which happy end God in his infinite goodness grant to us all, through the Merits, and Mediation of Christ Jesus our Lord, and Saviour. Amen.