fully as I have handled it and give a remarkable inftance of their compliance with the direction of the text, in the choice that is now coming before you; wherein, I fear, there will be but too much occafion given of trying how far thefe confiderations have had their due weight with you, and made a deep and becoming impreffions upon you. Seven years I have from this place admonished, exhorted, befonght you: What fuccefs these labours of mine have had, He knows beft, for whofe glory they were defigned. It will be one fure and comfortable fign to me that they have had fome, if it fhall appear, that the words I have fpoken to you to-day, are not in vain; if they fhall prevail with you, in any measure. to avoid thofe rocks, which are ufually fplit upon in elections, where multitudes of different inclinations, capacities, and judgments, are interested. To which end, let me intreat you, that, fince in these cafes unanimity and an entire agreement of hearts and voices is not to be expected, you would at leaft take care to difagree, in as decent, and friendly, and Christan a manner as is poffible.

Let not your zeal for any one man's character éver draw you to load, and depricate, and vilify another! Take not up flight reports to men's dif advantage, fpread them not, encourage them not, liften not with greedinefs to them.

Let it be enough, that the unfuccefsful lofe what they leek after, an opportunity of exercifing among you that talent in divine inftructions wherewith God has enabled them. Let them not lofe alfo, as far as in any of you lies, their good name, that great engine of doing good, by which

their

their labours must be made effectual to other perfons, in other places; and which as far as any of you fhall endeavour to deprive them of, fo far will you endeavour to obftruct the influence of their doctrine, and to make their character ufelefs.

Remember, I beseech you, that your holy contention is, about a minister of the gospel of Chrift: carry it not on by a violation of any rules of the gofpel Thofe rules, for the breach of which, if he be a good man (as I queftion not he will be), he will not thank you, nay will be obliged by his very poft to reprove you afterwards.

I fpeak not this to accufe any of you, as if any of these methods had been already practifed; but knowing how the paffions of men, not under the ftrong checks and reftraints of grace, are apt to work on thefe occafions, as becomes me, I warn you.

Set an example to the reft of the p rifhes of this ample city, in the management of fuch elections as thefe; reform the diforders that (God knows) too often attend them. Manifeft to the world the reasonableness of your having an interest in chufing your preachers, by the fit and laudable manner in which you make use of it. Be not too ftiff and peremptory in your opinions: Let thofe who are (or fhould be) conscious of their not having all the advantages requifite towards determining their choice in thefe things, defer fomewhat to the judgment of fuch as are, perhaps, fomewhat better qualified for it: They muft judge for themfelves indeed, as their fouls are concerned; but let them judge with humility and modefty. Bb 2

Should

Should fome little heats arife, while the difpute lafts, when it is over, I am confident they will vanifh, and all of you will join in paying that perfon you fhall pitch upon, the elteem due to his function, and to his ftation here; and which, I take this opportunity of telling the world, I have truly received from you.

However, though I have no reason in any refpect to complain of my entertainment among you, yet nothing would please me better than to hear that your refpect and love was, in every inftance, increased towards him that is to fucceed me; becaufe nothing can be a better evidence of your fincerity in religion, and of your growth in it, than when you grow alfo in your fincere regards to thofe, who, in a particular manner, belong both to that and you. And it is an infallible fign, that the truths of the gospel have not made that impreffion upon a man's heart and confcience which they ought to do, when the preachers of the gofpel have not had that share in his esteem, which belongs the usefulness and dignity of their facred employment.

And this I take to be fo univerfal a rule, as to admit of no exception; at least, I am fure, 1 never met with any, And it is therefore my hope, I fay, that you will always fhew yourfelves to be a religious people, and under the influence of good principles, by your behaviour towards thofe whofe bufinefs it is to watch over you for good; which will be one way, I am fure, of fecuring to yourselves a fucceffion of able and worthy men, as may adorn this place, equally by their lives and

and

and doctrines; and be a lafting honour and advantage to thofe who chufe them,

As for myself, with how great imperfection I have performed my duty here, and how far fhort I have fallen of the important truft committed to me, of inftructing and guiding you in the ways of virtue, nobooy can be more fenfible of than I am. However, thus much I take leave to fay, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity I have preached the gospel of Chrift among you: directing my difcourfes always against thofe vicious principles and practices, which to me feemed most to prevail; and fparing nothing I obferved to be amifs in you, out of regard to men's perfons or opinions, or to any worldly confideration whatever.

The infidelity of the age has forced me to dwell often on the great articles and mysteries of our faith, and to explain them largely: But I call God to witnefs, that I never propofed any expli cation of these points, never recominended any thing of this kind to your belief, but what I firmly, and from the bottoni of my heart, believed my felf. The faith I have delivered to you, the faith of the church of England, into which we are all baptized, is, I am intirely fatisfied, the fame that was once delivered to the faints: I hope, none of you will be ever invited, by the fpecious arts and infinuations of herefy, to depart from it. I am fure, the profeffion of it, in all its branches and members, is what, by the grace of God, I intend to live and die in.

The church you are of, is, without doubt, the purest and foundeft, the most reasonable and mo

derate

derate church upon earth, the nearest to the primitive pattern of any, and the most serviceable to our improvoment in virtue and godliness: reverence her, befeech you, in proportion to her worth; quit not her communion for any boafts to more pure and fpiritual worship; nor for the amufements of a more glorious and fplendid one; for the pretences of thofe men who make reason their God, without taking in revelation for their guide; or for the extravagant follies and freaks of enthufiafm.

As a fign of your unfeigned refpect for her conftitution, refort often to her fervice, and let your outward behaviour there speak your inward devotion: frequent her facraments; liften to her inftructions from the pulpit; breed up your children in the knowledge of her articles of religion; feafon them early with a due value for her doctrine and discipline; and fatisfy yourselves, that this is one of the beft legacies you can leave them,

This is what I have always inculcated to you; and, had the providence of God continued me longer among you, thould have gone on to inculcate ftill. I can only hereafter with it, and pray for it, which I thall not fail to perform.

Indeed my particular employment here now ceafes, but my relation to you, I trust, never fhall always cherith the memory of it, and reflect gratefully upon it, reckoning myfelf yours in fome meafure, even after my minifterial office here is at an end, and being ready to ferve any, even the meaneft of you, in all the Chriftian duties and fervices of which, I am capable.

"And now, brethren, I commend you to God,

"and