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found walking within his House with a perfect Heccafiowas greatly folicitous to have the Sabbath fanctify'd in Dwelling and took Heed to himself, as well at bome as abroad, that by an unblemish'd Example he might induce others to a ftritt Obfervation of the Lord's Day.

In the Houfe of Prayer, he fhew'd an exemplary Gravity in his whole Mein and Carriage, as one that reverenc'd God's Sanctuary: and when fitting under the Adminif trations of others, he was a very candid, as well as attentive Hearer. GOD's Tabernacles were truly amiable to him, and hither be wou'd repair with a boly Pleasure, not to be detain'd at any time by the little Impediments which many plead in Excufe of their frequent Abfence. Nor was his Clofet lefs his Delight in its Seafon: But GOD alone was Witness to the Spirit and Manner of his fecret Devotions. He was one (we've Reafon to think) that having chofen the LORD for his GOD, bad his Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jefus Chrift, and prayed alway in the holy Ghoft. He feared GOD above many, and ufed his Name, which is Holy and Reverend, with a vifible Awe upon his Mind. He fhewed a great Reverence to the facred Scriptures; honoured the Works of GOD, and ador'd his wife and holy Providence.

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exercised himfelf unto Godlinefs in all the various Branches of it and was particularly remarkable for his Truft in God, his Patience under Divine Corrections, and a bumble Refignation to the Will of Heaven, concerning him and his, as to all Events. He truly waited upon 'GOD: and waited for his SON from Heaven.

In Sum, we bebeld in him the rare Spectacle of an uniform Chriftian, the perfect Man and the upright, confiftent in his Principles and Tempers, Profeffion and Practice. Yet none furely will understand me now to affert his abfolute Perfection. Even Aaron, the Saint of the Lord, was an Inftance of the Law's making Men Priefts, which bad Infirmity and Peter, that mighty Apoftle, was an Inftance of the Gofpel's making Men Minifters, which

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are fometimes justly to be blamed. And perhaps feldom bas any one liv'd more under the bumbling Senfe of his native Pravity and remaining Infirmity, than the deceafed Servant of Chrift. However, You all knew him to be one who very confpicuously exercifed himself always to have à Confcience void of Offence, both towards God and towards Man: and You can't but teftify with what Evennefs, Conftancy, Diligence and Patience he ran his chriftian Race among us. The Spirit of his Mind and Tenor of his Converfation were evidently fuch as fpake him an Ornament to his Profeffion: and not many good Men, many Minifters, pass through the World with a more unfully'd Reputation. Ye knew the Man and his Communication: and I'm fure, his Memory as the devout and the juft Man, the real and the improv'd Saint, is precious among You.

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And as the good MINISTER of Jefus Chrift, I doubt not, Many are ready to rife up and praise him. We have confider'd him as an Example to the Believer : the folemn Care of which is made one Special Duty of a Teacher, and the actual Being of which is of great ConSequence, to invite juft Regards to his Perfon, to facilitate Some of the more difficult Parts of his private Work, as well as give his publick Preaching a peculiar Force and Weight, and to procure his whole Miniftry the Advantage of a Special Endearment among his People. And will You not now bear your deceased Paftor this additional Teftimony, That while among You he was a faithful Steward of the Myfteries of God, feeding your Souls with the Bread of Life, and careful to give unto every one his Portion in due Seafon! Ever mindful of the Honour and Interest of his LORD, and ever seeking the Welfare of his Charge. I thank CHRIST JESUS Our LORD (who enabled him) for that He counted bim faithful, putting him into the Miniftry; and for that, having obtained Help of Gon, he was continued fo long your Servant for JESUS fake, In him you enjoy'd the nurfing Father, the vigilant Bifhop, I 2

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and the prudent Guide, a Seer in the Matters of God, who took You by the Hand and led You in the Paths of Righteoufnefs and Truth, with much of the Wisdom that is from above, which is first pare, then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be intreated, full of Mercy and of good Fruits, without Partiality and without Hypocrify. The Watchman of Ephraim was with my GOD and how did he watch for your Souls, as one that expected to give an Account!

He well knew how he ought to behave himself in the Houfe of GOD, which is the Church of the living GOD. In Prayer and Sacramental Administrations, the Man of God wept, while he poured out his Heart before the Lord, He approach'd the Throne of Grace with a filial Freedom, and yet with a godly Fear, as knowing he had to do with a boly, as well as a gracious, heavenly Father. His Pulpit-Prayers were ufually filled with Adorations of the Attributes and Providence of a faithful Creator, as well as the Compaffions of a merciful Redeemer: were large in the Confeffions of Sin, particular in Supplications for the most needful Mercies, and often abounded with Thanksgiving. Nor was be unmindful to make Interceffion; to pray for all Men, for Kings, and for all in Authority, for the Churches of the Saints at home, and for the whole Ifrael of God abroad. He bore the Publick much on bis Heart: and never forgot the Poor and diftreffed.

His Sermons (however appearing to others plain and eafy) cost him ufually not a little Pains, as well in the compofing them, as in the committing them to Memory, He did not offer to his God of that which coft him nothing, nor put You off with extemporal Effufions, or with bafty Productions. I have beard him, at the fame time that he spake very humbly of bis Performances in the Pulpit, yet fay how his Brains have fweat in the Study and how the intenfe Thought of his Mind, together with the diligent ufe of his Pen, has been a Wearinefs to his Flesh. He labour'd for the most perfpicuous Method: and Search a

Jearch'd the Scriptures, to collect the most pertinent and affecting Texts under every Head, which were commonly numerous, and judiciously chofen. Having clear'd his Doctrine, be wou'd follow it with Inferences, ufually practical; and enforce all with a clofer Application to Confcience, in fome moving Words of Exhortation, He made it his Custom to pen down his Difcourfes at large, even to the writing out the Words of every ScriptureQuotation finifh'd his Preparations in Seafon; and then with Care got 'em by Heart. I know not, that ever he was feen to use his Notes in the Pulpit: and being diftinguifh'd with the uncommon Talent of a very fure and tenacious Memory, he deliver'd his Sermons memoriter with much Readinefs, and with a punctual Exactnefs (as I have fometimes had Occafion to obferve, upon the nicest Examination) according to the very Letter (not the Spirit and Scope only) of his Premeditations, as written in his Papers; which still he was wont to bring with him to the publick Exercifes, to prompt bis Memory, if there fhou'd be Occafion. However, tho be fat fo fair a Copy, he never took any Pains to draw me to follow it in this Inftance: nor could I ever obferve him to recommend very much this Memoriter-Delivery, when I've confer'd with him upon it: but he rather judg'd the Minifter's Care to imprefs his Sermons upon his own Heart and Confcience, by a previous Review for practical Ends and perfonal Ufes, the wifeft Care, as apprehending this to be the best Way of getting Sermons by Heart. And this be wou'd inculcate: but as for the other, he was not for laying an unreafonable Burden on any as it is written, All Men cannot receive this Saying, fave they to whom it is given; He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. Now as to his Manner of Expreffion, the in his young Days (as I have known him obferve) he was pleafingly captivated with the Rhetorical Dition of many celebrated Writers (and in particular our famous and Rey. LEE, whofe learned Labours be highly

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valu'd) yet he foon grew lefs in Love with a florid Style, and addicted himself to the ufing great Plainnefs of Speech, as conceiving it beft adjusted to the Ends of Gospel-Preaching, efpecially in a common Audience, and "best becoming the Divinity and Riches of the Matter, which fome while they think to adorn, do but adulterate it", and often raife a Cloud, inftead of reflecting Light. Plainnefs of Phrafe be certainly affected: and if at any time he might be thought to carry this Point to a Degree beyond what an itching Ear wou'd rather be pleas'd with, we were not wont to impute it to a faulty Negligence, but affign'd a better Principle, that is, an bumble Zeal to accommodate bis Miniftry to the lowest Capacities, and feed the very Lambs of the Flock, the ignorant and young, whofe Souls were equally precious to him as others, while he thought bimfelf a Debtor both to the Wife and the Unwife alike.

As for the Subjects of his publick Difcourfes, they were generally the weightier Matters of the Law, or the more important Myfteries of the Gospel. He often went over the Perfections of GOD, the Offices of CHRIST, the Graces of the SPIRIT, the Duties of the Chriftian Life, (in particular, Clofet-Devotions, Family-Religion, Sabbath-Sanctification, Covenant-keeping, Plain-dealing, Sober-mindedness, &c.) and the contrary Evils, the prevailing Sins of the Times, the Folly of Wickedness, and Wisdom of practical Godliness, the Vanity of this present World, the Happiness of Heaven and Mifery of Hell, the Terrors of Death and Judgment to carnal Sinners, but the Joys of both to real Saints: fuch were the Points he dwelt much upon, and frequently touch'd on the most of 'em, with folemn Memento's, almost in every Sermon. He fed us with the most wholefome Food, prepared with "Care and Skill, tho' without much of artful Ornament; as aiming, not fo much to gratify a delicate Fancy, as to nourish the hungry Soul. As became a Watchman on the Wall, be feldom fail'd of accommodating the Tenor of bis Difcourfes to the various Emergencies of Providence

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