Esteem the Prophet David has given these Vertues of Honesty Justice and Truth by making them the chief Ingredients whenever he describes a truly pious Man So that let the Disturbers of Peace and Truth contend never so earnestly about Opinions Speculations and outward ways of Worship Men are no further religious than they are honest and just Our practising the Duties of the second Table being the best Evidence that we can give of our right Observation of the Duties of the first as may be undeniably manifested through the whole Current of the Old and New Testament particularly through all the account of the Lives of the Patriarchs through the ancient Book of Job the Psalms of David the Proverbs of Solomon the Sermons of the Prophets the Expositions Parables and Discourses of our Saviour and the Rules and Precepts of the Apostles And they who forsake these plain and numerous and divine Testimonies of what was always esteemed pure and sincere Religion and undertake to dress it up in new Notions of their own as they best suit with their private Passions Fancies and worldly Interests may make Mankind either ignorant Worshippers of they know not what or phantastically zealous they know not why but will never perswade People to be truly humble charitable and substantially Good or imprint upon their Minds an awful and just Reverence of the Eternal and Incomprehensible Godhead Now the Honourable Person whose bodily Remains are here before us was one who shew'd the Truth of his Religion by the Honesty and Justice of his Life and declar'd his Faith in God by his Fidelity to Man. He never took up a Reproach against his Neighbour or a Reward against the Innocent or admitted of any unlawful Gain but was true to all his Covenants and Contracts faithfully kept his Oath of Allegiance and would still have done so tho' it had been to his temporal Hindrance All you who are now present can fully testifie his exceeding Worth in all the Variety of his Capacities and Employments both private and publick You who are of the Nobility Gentry and his worthy Relations can witness the high Generosity of his Soul the Greatness and Constancy of his Friendships the Love the Honour and the Sincerity of all his Correspondencies You can witness for many of You were Partners with Him in all his eminent Stations and deserve your Commendations too You can witness how assiduous and punctual He was in all the Important Trusts that were committed to Him whether in the August Assembly of the Parliament his honourable Commands in the Militia or his Justitiary Affairs upon the Bench. How highly Loyal He was ever to His King and yet a studious Preserver of the ancient Priviledges of his Countrey but yet no such turbulent Lover of his Countrey as any ways to undermine the just Prerogatives of the Crown How firm and resolute He always was for upholding the established Church of England and yet not Factious against the right Succession How vast an Empire he had obtained in the Affections of the People by his Affability his Hospitality and his repeated Acts of Kindness and yet how innocently how justly and how loyally He managed so dangerous a Power That largely extended Popularity in which he always liv'd and which would have made perhaps another man vainly giddy or seditious made him more thoughtful and more steddy to the Crown For he could not but consider what peculiar Obligations He had to be faithful to the Government since so great a Multitude of all sorts had committed themselves to his charge and own'd Him for their Oracle in Civil Wisdom Therefore He guided them in all humble Submission to their Sovereign and inspir'd them with that Allegiance which He constantly practis'd himself which he practis'd with the same Sincerity with the same Conscience of his Oath to God as well as to Man under all Accidents and Circumstances through all Variations and Changes for no Sufferings could terrifie Him no Prosperity could soften him out of his Duty no publick Discontents could sowre Him no private Friendships could byass Him But lo He has now concluded the Male-Line of his Loyal Ancestors with untainted Honour and may all his collateral Posterity both imitate and inherit the Glory of this his Character And may all You who were his Noble Friends and Acquaintance maintain the same illustrious as well as truly Christian Vertue to the end of your days whatever difficulties arise whatever temporal Losses You undergo for otherwise You will blast the Reputation of the Church of England You will forfeit the Protection of the Divine Providence and lose the fairest Opportunity that this Nation ever had of glorifying God by a meek perseverance in Obedience and Truth And as You are Christians you must acknowledge that the Gospel is not upheld by Wilfulness but by Humility and by Patience They who are of the Clergy can testifie what Regard he always paid to that Order how gladly he receiv'd their Visits many times return'd them and never seem'd more satisfy'd than when his Table was fill'd with their Society He was not afraid of their Learning their Prudence and their Observations but could throughly relish their wisest Discourses and match their accutest Sayings A Reverend and a Virtuous Divine was no tedious Burden to him no Censure on his Manners no Comedy to his Servants and no Jest among his Family No I am sure whoever of them brought any Esteem along with them to his House never went away with it any ways diminish'd but rather increas'd with the Additions of a due Respect He well knew the sad Degeneracy of this Age with what Contempt and Scorn the Men of that Function are many times treated by those who envy their Subsistence and hate their Vertues who having renounc'd their Allegiance to God are continually offering Violence to his Embassadors and being conscious to themselves that they have justly deserv'd an Excommunication for the notorious lewdness of their Lives cannot but expect an Anathema from every Church-man that they meet and therefore treat them as their greatest Enemies These horrible Impieties he knew were too much in fashion among the Great in whom Civility and common Manners are usually accounted the lowest of their Qualifications and therefore he endeavour'd to set them a better Example for he had never any thing to do with the Throne of Wickedness or with the Chair of the Scorners He never put those Faces to Confusion that were made tender by Modesty and Retirement he never cast a Cloud of Infamy and Reproach upon the Beauty of Holiness but he always rejoyc'd to express his Reverence of God and his Affection to Religion by his proportionable Respects to the Clergy he lov'd to be a Partaker of the Tranquility the Wisdom the innocent and meek Conversation the Joy and Gladness of the Righteous and to be held a Companion of all those who with an unparalell'd John 15.14 15. but yet unenvy'd Title are call'd
the Friends of Christ Thus he fully answer'd that part of the Character of a Citizen of Sion laid down in this Psalm where it is said of him That in his Eyes a vile Person is contemned v. 4. but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. Indeed his Civility embrac'd all men though his Judgment knew well how to distinguish To contemn any one was not in his Nature though it sometimes happen'd to be his Duty especially as a Magistrate But the vile Persons that he contemn'd were not the poor and destitute those he reliev'd They were not those of a mean or common Parentage for such he many times enobled with his Invitations and courteous Notice neither were they those whose Vices were private or known only by common rumour or long since committed for as to such things he was not hasty to judge any but left them to God and their own Consciences despising none as Publicans because he could not tell what Saints Repentance might one day make them But the vile Persons that he contemn'd were more especially the busie Disturbers of Church and State either by open Rebellion secret Conspiracy or libellous Pamphlets And likewise among the vile Persons he could not but reckon all such though otherwise never so high in Quality who scoff'd at Religion and despis'd the Clergy because so profligate a Demeanour towards sacred things and persons was an Argument to him of the worst of Tempers that was incident to human Nature as denoting both the highest pitch of Prophaneness and the lowest Dregs of Sensuality But our good Citizen of Sion made much of them that feared the Lord defended them from the Insolence of those that would oppress them render'd them Aweful to their Flocks and Charges teaching them new measures of Reverence by his own Demeanour making them ready and chearful to render their whole Dues when they saw him who was so strict an Observer of Judgment Mercy and Truth to be so exact and punctual in the payment of all his Tythes He had no Fortunes to make no prodigally wasted Patrimony to repair by Fraud and Sacriledge but what was wanting to the ancient Demesns of his worthy Family was nobly lost by their faithful adherence to the Church and Crown and therefore never to be re-built upon their Ruines Yet notwithstanding all the loss it underwent in the civil Wars it still remain'd an ample and a thriving Estate under the Discretion and Liberality of its Owner it had no Canker in it no unjust Titles to moulder it away no Curse of the Needy upon it but was alway blessed with the good Providence of God the Prayers of the Clergy and of the Poor And thus shall every Man be blessed that maketh much of them that fear the Lord. They that love God's Ministers shall be beloved of God they shall dwell in plenty all their days descend with Honour unto their Graves and their Memories shall be dear and sacred as long as Learning and Wisdom and Piety shall remain They who are of the Commonalty can sufficiently witness the Condescentions of his Kindness the easie Familiarity of his Converse the readiness of his Favours and the uprightness of his Magistracy how he us'd his Authority chiefly to reconcile the minds of those that were offended with each other to cool their Passions to lessen their Differences to recommend the Benefits of Peace and Amity to declare the ill Consequences of Enmity and Revenge and by threatning the Rigour of the Laws to keep them from the punishments of them How often have fierce and contending Adversaries forgot their Malice in his presence and been asham'd to prosecute their Neighbours before him who always was so kind to his He was every way so compleatly fitted for his Justitiary Jmployment by his Wisdom his Equity and his Reputation that there were few but were ready to stand to whatever he propos'd They were fully possess'd with an admiration of his person and his worth they knew how inflexible he was in Honesty and Truth and repair'd to him rather as an Arbitrator than as a Magistrate and accordingly he manag'd their Controversies as a true Lover of his Countrey and an equal Guardian of Peace and Concord he often serv'd the true ends of Government more by advising as a Friend than by giving out Orders as a Justice and compos'd more Differences by the good humour of a Gentleman than by the severity of a Magistrate You can witness how he spent his time and his Estate continually in the Countrey and scarce ever went to London but to attend in the Parliaments and there to promote your Interest how he preferr'd his Habitation here before all the Splendor and Diversions of the City and how he valued the plain and downright Affection of honest and industrious Farmers before the finest Professions of Flattery and Courtship you cannot but remember with what chearfulness of Looks and heartiness of Language he receiv'd you to his Table which you always found loaded with such substantial Provisions as having serv'd the Parlour afterwards feasted the Hall and plentifully reliev'd the Poor at his Gates When his House was fill'd as it often was with promiscuous Guests how obligingly would he accommodate himself to Persons of all degrees and ranks salute the Gentry with compleat Address give such respect unto the Clergy as should invite others to pay the same talk friendly and facetiously with the middle sort of People kindly and affably with the Lowest Nay he would oftentimes give Life and Countenance to the meanest Guests by particular Applications and the repeated Testimonies of their Welcome Those who were his Tenants can witness how far he was from being a hard Landlord or requiring more than his Ground would yield how favourably he consider'd all Casualties how desirous he was of their honest Profit what Pleasure he took in seeing them prosper and thrive so that we may be assur'd Job 31.38 that his Land will never cry against him nor the Furrows thereof complain His Servants know what a gracious Master they have lost in whose Service they found no harshness of Commands and no Indulgence unto Vice To retain unto him was not Licentiousness but Discipline and good Manners neither was it Slavery but Preferment and accordingly they perform'd their Duty more from Love than from Fear Some he educated and provided for with the tenderness of a Father some he apprentis'd out to profitable and honest Callings he rewarded all that any ways deserv'd and there were few but did deserve for he took care to instill both Civility and Religion into them and to let them know that he was most offended when they neglected their Duty to God He never affected much Appearance or Splendor in his Retinue but the only Pomp in which he seem'd to be most delighted was in walking constantly to the House of God before a numerous and well-order'd Family And now Beloved you may think perhaps that I have finish'd his
Character by these several Appeals which I have made to those who fully understood his multiply'd Worth but yet there are greater things behind for my self to witness which will shew him to have been a devout Worshipper of God and that these sundry Instances of his Integrity Righteousness and Truth which I have already given were but either so many preparatory Qualifications to or demonstrative Evidences of the Reality of his Devotions For without some Degree of these Men are not fit for the solemn Worship of God and without an Improvement in these their Worship is but Mockery and Prophaneness To be Honest Just and Faithful or what is all one to be without Guile is perhaps the safest Description of a good Christian that the New Testament affords us our Saviour gave it of Nathaniel when he call'd him an Israelite indeed John 1.47 Nay it is given of our blessed Saviour himself 1 Pet. 2.22 Who did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth And Rev. 14.5 it is there affirm'd of those who are represented as the highest Order of Saints in the Resurrection that in their Mouth was found no Guile Without this sure and standing Evidence of the Simplicity of the Heart we may be at strange Uncertainties about our judging and defining what is true Religion and Vertue for Experience has assur'd us that Men may have such odd Apprehensions of the Divinity they worship as may root out all their Remains of Moral Honesty and things may arrive to that desperate Pass that some Mens Piety shall be nothing but an Extasie about God and the Ranckness of Self-love under the sacred name of Zeal Having therefore attested the Integrity Righteousness and Truth of this Great Exemplar before us and finding him so well qualify'd according to the Method of the Psalmist to be a Worshipper of God I shall in the Second place consider how he behav'd himself in that spiritual Priviledge and Station He was admirably compos'd by the sincerity of his Temper and the seriousness of his Affections for the solemn Worship of God he seem'd to me to have an extraordinary sense of the Majesty of God upon his Mind a deep and unaffected Humility in all his Thoughts and religious Actions and such a grateful Experience of the Mercies of God as was always ready to overflow into Praises and Thanksgivings And this Reverential Habit of his Soul being a due mixture of Fear and Love and holy Admiration was owing next to the Grace of God to that strict and truly Christian Education which he receiv'd from the Care of his wise and vertuous Parents for it was then that he imbib'd those early and lasting Impressions of the Awefulness of Religion which he kept inviolate in the University and in the Countrey which he carried with him from his Youth to his Grave through all the Hypocrisie of the Usurpation and through all the Prophaneness since Nothing was more odious to him than sporting with sacred Things not that he wanted a Talent to have furnish'd out the Wit but he had a devout Nature that abhorr'd the Crime No Man was more facetious than he when it was seasonable and innocent but then God and and the holy Scriptures were never any of his Subjects He was never known to use any manner of Jesting to the Prejudice or Reproach of his Neighbour and we may be sure he was much more tender of the Honour of his God. He was so far from entertaining any peevish Exceptions against the excellent Liturgy of our Church that he could never sufficiently admire the Purity the Spirit the Holiness the Divine Plainness and the comprehensive Wisdom of our publick Prayers He frequented them and lov'd them because he truly relish'd them he truly relish'd them because he came prepar'd unto them by the private Devotions of his Closet which he likewise sustain'd and cherish'd by his duly reading and meditating on the appointed Psalms and Chapters for every Morning and Evening throughout the Year His grave and examplary Behaviour in this place always shew'd what an intire Affection he bare to the whole Service of the Church for by his humble Gestures his devout and audible Responses and his exact Conformity to all the outward Decency prescrib'd he was in a manner a living Rubrick to the whole Congregation and by his continual and hearty Amens to every Prayer he animated the Devotions of all that were present He was not one who expected Curiosities from the Pulpit or that the common Christians or those of an ordinary Understandding should be neglected to supply Dainties for his Ear For though he was a Judge of the Purity of Eloquence the choiceness of Expression the clearness of Method the strength of an Argument the depth of sound Divinity and the height of an affectionate Piety yet he was a Favourer of the plainest and most inartificial Instructions Nay he did not disdain as many Great Persons do to be a constant Auditor of the repeated Rudiments of Christianity and the most familiar Catechizing of the Children for he well knew that those Fundamental Articles were the important Truths on which our Salvation does depend and that however a sufficient Knowledge of them may be soon acquir'd even by the meanest humble and willing Disciple of Christ yet they contain'd such boundless Treasures of Divine Sense and Meaning as might exercise the vastest parts and continually inrich the most improved Mind He was a strict Observer of the Lent for three days in a Week He constantly receiv'd the Holy Sacrament at the three great Festivals of the Year and sometimes oftner and before every receiving he usually injoyn'd himself three or four days of strict Preparation and sometimes more The last Sacrament I gave him which was on Christmas-day in his Chamber it was some scruple upon him that he had not prepar'd himself more solemnly according to his wonted Method But when I told him that I did not doubt but his extream Pains and his commendable Patience under them had supply'd the Design of his former Self-denials and had wrought him into an humble and heavenly Temper He resign'd himself to my Intimations and receiv'd his Viaticum his spiritual Strength upon His weak and trembling Knees During all His Illness till he kept his Bed he would not hearken to those that propos'd to him any other Posture in his Prayers and in the latter part of his Weakness he was pray'd for in many of the neighbouring Churches in the Cathedral of Winchester and in the Chappel of his Diocesan Thus he was a true Son of the Church of England follow'd all Her Rites and Usages pay'd a strict Obedience to all Her Directions mourn'd when she suffer'd rejoyc'd when she flourish'd pray'd fervently and acted vigorously for Her Prosperity cherish'd respected reverenc'd all Orders of Men within Her was intimate with a long Succession of Her most eminent Prelates and Pastors was greatly honour'd and intirely lov'd by most of the Reverend Fathers that now