as any where elfe, in this Difcourfe; by which I fhall at leaft gratify an innocent Curiosity, which moft People have, to know even the leaft interefting Particulars which relate to great and good Men, efpecially fuch as they have been acquainted with, and have had an affectionate Regard for.

Your late worthy Paftor drew his first Breath, and spent his infant Years, at Calne, a fmall Town in Wiltshire, where his Father was then Minifter. At nine Years of Age he was removed into Lancashire, by an Invitation which his Father received from the Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters at Bolton, where he had his Grammar Learning. His Academic Studies were carried on at Manchester; but under fuch Difadvantages as he has oft lamented. At the Age of twentytwo he accepted an Invitation from a fmall Society at Crook near Kendal. In this Retirement he endeavoured to redeem the Time which, he thought, he had in fome Measure. loft, by nine Years clofe Application to Books. It was here that he first felt the much to be lamented Effects of religious Prejudices, and an ill-guided Zeal for received and established Opinions. For, upon his refufing to fubfcribe the Affemblies Catechifm, many neighbouring Minifters refufed their Attendance at his Ordination. A fad Proof of their Uncharitablenefs!

ritablenefs! However, he had fome Recompence made him for this unkind Usage, by the particular Regards of a worthy Family with which he contracted a very honourable and an happy Alliance; the Diffolution of which is not the least moving Circumstance in his Removal. But, I fhould hardly hint at it here. About the Time that I am speaking of, the Trinitarian Controverfy was carried on with much unjustifiable Heat in the Weft of England, which put our deceased Friend upon throughly ftudying the Points in Debate. With that View he carefully read Dr. Clark on one Hand; and, on the other, he read Dr. Waterland, with the reft of the Athanafian Writers of moft Repute at that Day; but above all, he carefully read his Bible, upon the Points in Queftion: And fuch was the Honefty, and the Opennefs of his Mind, to receive and embrace Truth, wherever he thought he had found it, that, tho' before this impartial Enquiry, he was a profeffed Athanafian, yet after it he altered his Sentiments, and never faw Reafon to retract the Change he had made; but the more he read and thought, the more he was confirmed in it. How great his Love of Truth, and his Difcernment of it were, may be gathered from what I have heard him declare, that "Next to his Bible, nothing did more towards fixing him in Dr. Clark's Scheme than the Replies

to

to it."

They did more than even what the Doctor himself had faid to fupport it."

From Crook he removed to another small Place, near Wigan in the fame County; where nine Years more of his valuable Life were spent, in the faithful Service of his Charge. After which he was prevailed upon to take the Pastoral Care of a Congregation at Chorley, likewife in Lancafhire; where he continued four Years, which was till he received your Call to Birmingham and Cofeley, in which Places it pleafed God to continue him as an Inftrument of Salvation, I hope, to many Souls, during the Space of twenty-two Years. What Reception he met with at his firft Settlement in this Part of the Country; what Oppofition from fome, and what abufive Treatment from others, let Charity conceal: But with what Firmness he ftood the Shock of Bigotry, and party Zeal, and with what unwearied Affiduity he has ever fince gone on to reprove, to rebuke, to inftruct, and exhort, to intreat, and perfuade Men to be reconciled to God, to turn and live, to repent and be faved, I leave you to tell; untill that melancholy Moment in which the benumbing Meffengers of Death laid their cold. Hands upon him. It was on the Lord's Day, the 17th inftant in the Afternoon, when he himself feems to have found a paralytic Weaknefs creeping upon his Nervous System, whilst in his Pulpit at Cofeley. His Voice was ob

ferved

served to alter a little in his Prayer before Sermon, which Part of the Service he purpofely contracted, with great Decency and Compofure. After which he attempted to come down, but was not able. However, Affiftance being immediately lent him; by the Help of that he reached the Vestry, adjoining to his Meeting-houfe, where being met and afked by fome of his Friends, how he did? and what was the Matter with him? he answered with fome Languor, "I don't know." but foon after, when feated in a Chair, he two or three Times repeated the Word Palfy. When some of his Friends made an Attempt to remove him to his own House, he oppofed it as much as he could; and intimated as well as he was able, that he would speak to his People; whom he had that Day treated with more than ufual Marks of Tenderness and Affection; but in this laft brave Attempt to rally his Forces, as it were, his Speech faltered, and he was only understood, and that in broken Accents, to utter a few unconnected Words, fuch as Love-Charity-Glory-Then finding his Work was finished, he calmly fubmitted to his Difcharge, and remained fpeechlefs till the Friday following. About Ten o'clock in the Forenoon, on that Day, his Disease did its laft, and, to him a kind, Office; and extinguished one of the greatest Lights of the Churches, in this Part of the Country.

I

Thus

Thus to die, as it were, in the Bed of Honour, "Fighting a good Fight of Faith," with his almoft latest Breath, muft give us an advantageous Idea of his Reception in the World of glorified Spirits. With what loud Acclamations of Joy, with what triumphant Congratulations, may we fuppofe the bufy Minifters of everlafting Life and Happiness, cælestial Peace and Bleffednefs, would receive this new-born Heir of Heaven, and introduce him to their common Manfions of Felicity! "Before the Throne of God, to serve in his Temple Day and Night: Where there shall be no more hungering nor thirsting, where there fhall be no more Death, neither Sorrow, nor Crying, neither fhall there be any more Pain:" See Rev. vii. 15, 16. and xxi. 4.

This leads me to the third Thing fuggefted in the Text, Ver. 12.

III. The Reward annexed to the Duties of the Character which the Text exhibits to us, and that is, a Crown of Rightecufnefs; by which we can understand nothing more certainly, than an eternal Freedom from all Evil, and the fecure Enjoyment of every poffible Good, for the endless Ages of Immortality. They are the Words of my ever honoured Tutor, the late reverend and learned Dr. Latham, which I would beg Leave to infert here. Speaking of the Death of Minifters, he fays,

They are taken