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 undiftinguished 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 foy of thy Lord.

SERMON

SERMON III.

On Faith, Benevolence, &c.

Being a Farewel SERMON preached in
Twickenham-Chapel, June 20. 1742;
and published at the Requeft of the
Audience.

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 Capacity, which I now bear, of your Preacher and Minifter; I have chofen 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,

SERM.III.

IIIdly, Take my Leave of you, with a fhort Address to you,

I. The first Point is, that you would feriously confider the strong Evidences of your Faith; Evidences fo ftrong, 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 such 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 subservient 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 set 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 Sense do not always meet with the
Succefs, which they deserve, in ftemming
and oppofing it. The Principles of Chri-
ftianity 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 Stu-
dying, there are Multitudes, who become
fo by Conversation with thofe, who have
no Way of keeping themfelves in Counte-
nance, but by discountenancing Religion."
And what Wonder is it, that Persons should
be laughed out of Religion, who never rea-
foned themfelves into it? A Man in his
younger Years must be well-difpofed, and
of a serious thinking Turn, to converse at
large, and yet continue a Christian: But
if he be of a ferious Turn, and impartially
VOL. II.
F
weigh