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we die, we have gained the decifive Victo- SERM. II. ry: and when we come before the Throne of Grace, we shall receive a glorious Triumph; a Triumph indeed, where instead of the fenfelefs Noife of an undistinguished and undistinguishing Populace: a numerous Choir of ennobled Spirits fhall hail with joyful Acclamations their happy FellowServant While, to crown all, the great Judge pronounces the bleffed Sentence: Well done, thou good and faithful Servant! Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord.

SERMON

1

SERMON III.

On Faith, Benevolence, &c.

Being a Farewel SERMON preached in
Twickenham-Chapel, June 20, 17425
and published at the Requeft of the
Audience.

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I TIMOTHY I. 19.

Holding Faith, and a good Confcience.

T

HIS being the laft Time, that ISERM.III.
shall speak to you in the Capaci-
ty, which I now bear, of your

Preacher and Minifter; I have chosen these
Words, the Advice of St. Paul to Timothy,
as containing the Sum and Subftance of our
Duty. In difcourfing upon which, I fhall
throw together fome few Thoughts;

Ift, Upon Faith,

IIdly, Upon a good Confcience;

III dly,

III, Take my Leave of you, with a hort Addrefs to you.

I. The first Point is, that you would feriously confider the strong Evidences of your Faith; Evidences so strong, that he would be deemed a Madman, who was not determined by much lefs in his fecular Affairs. If any one fhould go about to difprove the Conquefts of Alexander, he would be thought not to be in his found Mind: And yet there are much stronger Proofs for the Reality of the Miracles recorded in Scripture, and particularly in the New Testament ; than there are for the Victories of Alexander, or even for the Being of fuch a Man.

Let it no more stagger your Faith, that there are so great a Number of Unbelievers ; than it ought to influence your Practice, that there are so great a Number of wicked Men. Befides, you may be deceived, by miftaking fecond Qualities for firft. A Propenfity to think out of the common Road, may be by no Means the leading Quality among those that are ftiled Unbelievers: It

may be only a secondary one, and fubfervient to a primary Defire, that of being in the Fashion. Thofe very Men, who now

affect

affect to be thought Unbelievers, might, SERM. II. probably, if they had lived in the Times of the Grand Rebellion, have fet up for Saints: Because a reputed Sanctity was as much the Mode of that Age, as Infidelity is of this. There is a Torrent of Opinions peculiar to almoft every Age: Men of light unbalanced Minds, like light Matter, are borne down by the Current; and Men of folid Senfe do not always meet with the Succefs, which they deferve, in stemming and oppofing it. The Principles of Christianity may be out of Fashion: But what they want in the Fashion, they make up in Weight, Solidity, and intrinfic Worth.

For one, that has been made a Profelyte to Deifm, by Reading, Thinking and Studying, there are Multitudes, who become fo by Conversation with thofe, who have no Way of keeping themselves in Countenance, but by discountenancing Religion. And what Wonder is it, that Persons should be laughed out of Religion, who never reafoned themselves into it? A Man in his younger Years must be well-difposed, and of a serious thinking Turn, to converfe at large, and yet continue a Chriftian: But if he be of a ferious Turn, and impartially VOL. II. weigh

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