mine your everlasting state after death; obferving the apoftle's exhortation, with which I conclude: See that ye refufe not him, that speaketh. For if they escaped not, who refused him that fpake on earth, at the delivery of the law; much more fball not we, if we turn away from him, that speaketh from heaven; whofe voice then hook the earth; but he hath promifed, faying, Yet once more I shake, not the earth only, but also beaven. And this word, Yet once more, fignifieth the removing of thofe things that are shaken, as of things that are made; that thofe, which cannot be shaken, may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom, that cannot be moved; let us have grace, whereby we may ferve him acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a confuming fire".

*Heb. xii. 25,-29.

SER

SERMON

CXXXIV.

(Preached at the Parish-Church of St. James, Westminster, December 30. 1750. on refigning the Rectory.)

A TRUE CHRISTIAN PASTOR'S VALEDICTORY ADDRESS TQ HIS FLOCK.

You

cure.

2 COR. xiii. 11.

Finally, brethren, farewell.

OU have expected, for several months, what you will immediately understand the choice of these words to import, my refignation of the office of your minifter. If any one blames me, or is forry for it, I intreat him to confider: Above seventeen years and a half have paffed over my head in this place. I have spent the flower and vigour of my life in your fervice; and now I find, and must expect to find, myself growing lefs fit every day for the duties of fo laborious a You would not wish to wear me quite out before my time; I would not wish to be burthenfome, without being ufeful to you; and it is much better, that you should be grieved at my departure, than weary of my stay; that I fhould leave you, while I can do fomething, than continue with you, when I can do nothing; and convenient opportunities of removing are not likely, as you must be fenfible, to happen frequently. Befides, the care of my diocese requires me to be abfent from you near half my time; another person may be able to bestow his upon you almost entirely. In fo long a space I have given offence probably to more persons than I am aware; whether just offence, is not for me to fay, my fucceffor will have offended no one. I have undergone

fome

fome pretty severe trials, with fuch temper and spirits as I could; but how either would hold out, in my declining age, to undergo more of them, I cannot forefee. And therefore, on the the whole, I hope it will not be imputed to me as a fault, that I have accepted of the offer, which his majesty's goodness hath been induced to make me. I did not follicit to be brought amongst you; nor have I follicited to quit you. I had a large income in the church, when I came hither; I have not enriched myfelf by my abode here; I fhall not enrich myself by going from hence. Hitherto I truft I have not remarkably confulted my own ease; and hereafter, through God's grace, I fhall be diligent according to my ability, both in preaching and other duties of my profeffion. But it must not be thought ftrange, if, amongst these, I chiefly devote myself to the private study of the holy fcripture, and the daily attendance on divine worship, in the ftation to which I am retiring. I return you my heartieft thanks for your kind acceptance of my labours, for your indulgence, for your liberality to me. I humbly ask your pardon for failings and omiffions, which I am fenfible have been many; though I can truly fay, that I have always uprightly endeavoured to promote your good in every thing, fpiritual and temporal; and would willingly think I need not add, that I have in no instance attempted to do you injuftice. If in any I can properly ferve this parish, or any member of it, I fhall ever embrace the occafion with pleasure. And for the beft proof that I can give at prefent, of that difpofition, I beg leave to mention a few things at parting, about your parochial affairs, your fu ture minifter; and yourselves, which I conceive may be useful to you; and concerning which I Lfeech you to bear the fame freedom of fpeech from me, that you have allowed me to ufe, on other fubjects, for fo many years paft.

I begin with your civil affairs. For both the management of them, and the judgment paffed upon it, are points that may confiderably affect, not only your intereft, but your confcience too. Conducting them right is matter of confcience, on one hand; and abstaining from unjuft accufations or fufpicions, and feeling sentiments of just gratitude is fo on the other. In fome of thefe matters I have had a fhare, jointly with your ether veftrymen; and fhould by no means do them justice,

were

were I to omit saying, that I have found those of them, who have attended, impartially and difintereftedly ftudious, as might indeed be expected from their ranks and characters, of promoting your general welfare; and rectifying errors, and • framing and executing due regulations. To these, therefore, in particular, I make my grateful acknowledgments for the affistance and support, which they have fo conftantly and unanimously afforded me, in the most friendly and obliging manner. Nor are they few or small things, which, on a fair inquiry, you will find to have been done by them for your advantage, within the last twenty years; and that more have not, is principally owing to this, that their authority extends to a lefs part of your concerns by far, than I believe you commonly imagine. For inftance, it doth not extend to the most important article, the care of your poor; concerning the maintenance of whom, however, they have, in my time, drawn up and recommended rules, that were the product of much examination and thought; and on more occafions than one, have given and repeated fuch advice, as, in fome things, hath proved extremely ferviceable; and would have been fo in more, had it been fooner and better followed.

Befides your veftry, there are feveral meetings of other perfons for parish bufinefs, vulgarly called by the fame name, because they have been usually held in the fame place. And of these also I can affure you, with great truth, that such as I have been entitled to attend, are carried on with perfect fidelity, and no fmall vigilance. The affairs tranfacted in them are, the difpofal of the money collected yearly from house to houfe on the king's letter; the direction of that excellent inftitution, your fchool of charity-girls; and the distribution of the money given at the facrament; part of which is em ployed in buying coals, and coats and gowns for indigent per fons, in the winter feafon; part in clothing, teaching and putting apprentices, forty boys of the parish; part in relieving, by the joint approbation of the rector and church-wardens, who meet for that end, fuch other objects of compaffion, as apply to them; and of all the difburfements before-mentioned, as exact an account, as well can be, is kept. Thus far, therefore, I can answer for it, that you are ferved faithfully; whatever prudential improvements longer experience

and

and better judgment may be able to make, as they have already made fome.

And in officers, whofe proceedings have not usually fallen within my immediate knowledge, I have had very little ground to fufpect wilful or grofs corruption or negligence; and often the utmoft reafon to be affured of exemplary uprightness and affiduity. Still the burthen of your poor is both a heavy one, as I fear it is in moft cld parishes, and a growing one, as I fear it is in all, old or new. That it cannot be leffened, I would on no account venture to say. On the contrary, I would earneftly exhort, here in public, thofe of you who are now, or hereafter fhall be overfeers, as I have often done your predeceffors in private, and, I hope, not quite in vain, to procure all the information, and take all the pains, that your other engagements will permit, for that purpose; to be very tender indeed to the needy, where there is caufe; but not to be moved by falfe good-nature of your own, by groundless importunities of theirs, or unreafonable recommendations of other perfons, to beftow on any, especially the undeferving, more than is really neceffary. I would further exhort you, with the fame intent, to difcountenance, as much as you poffibly can, idleness, intemperance and debauchery, which are the main caufes of indigence; and use your utmost influence, to make the attendance on divine worship and inftruction, at the infirmary, univerfal, conftant and beneficial; to study unanimity and mutual affiftance, and let nothing be done through ftrife or vain-glory vain-glory*: to defpife little advantages and felf-indulgences, which, though they may be but a trifling foundation for complaint, frequently occafion a great deal; and, together with doing what good you can, labour to keep your good from being evil Spoken oft; particularly by a readiness to give satisfaction on any article of your conduct, to every fair inquirer who is concerned to ask it; endeavouring, according to the apoftle's rule, that no man should blame you in this abundance, which is administered by you, and providing for honeft things, not only in the fight of the Lord, but in the fight of men t. For thus you will discharge your own confciences, and prevent at once needlefs expence and uncharitable reVOL. III. flexions;

3Z

* Phil. ii. 3.

Rom. xiv. 16.

2 Cor. viii. 20, 21.