diligently, strengthen what is weak, and add what is deficient; that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing*. Whatever due Instruction I may have omitted to give you, it ought to have been, and is, your Concern to fupply it to yourselves: and if I have in any Measure performed that Duty as I ought; remember, Improvement will be expected from you, in Proportion to the Advantages, which you have enjoyed. Through God's Mercy, fome of you, that were bad, I have Cause to think are become good; and some, that were good, become better: but alas, how few are these, amongst the thousands, of whom this Parish consists! O may there prove to be many more, than are come to my Knowledge! Else I must give Account of the Success of my Miniftry with Grief: for the largest and best Part of it hath been employed on You: and fain therefore would I perfuade myself, that it will be found to have produced a tolerable Share of good Effect, For what is our Hope, or Joy, or Crown of rejoicing? are not even ye, in the Prefence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at his Coming? But however I have failed hitherto, let me not, I beseech you, fail now to obtain, that if ever I have said any Thing to you, which raised any one Christian Purpose or Defire in your Hearts, you would at length fet yourselves to recollect and accomplish it; and that if you have experienced nothing of this Kind from my Preaching, you * James i. 4. † Heb. xiii. 17. ‡ Theff. ii. 19. would would the more confcientioufly open your Breasts to the Impreffions of that, which you will attend next: for glad shall I be, to have promoted your spiritual Welfare, be it only by this final Request; and to learn, that the Seed, which shall be sown from henceforward, yields beyond Comparison a more plentiful Harvest, than that which preceded. For God is my Record, if I may prefume to adopt the Apostle's Words, how greatly I long after you all, in the Bowels of Jesus Christ; and this I pray, that your Love may abound yet more and more, in Knowledge and all fudgment; that ye may approve the Things that are excellent, that ye may be fincere and without Offence till the Day of the Lord, being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the Glory and Praise of God *. Let then your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel : that whether I come and fee you, or be abfent, I may hear of your Affairs, that ye stand fast in one Spirit, with one Mind; not as in my Prefence only, but now much more in my Absence, working out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling: for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do ‡, Understand me not to mean taking an absolute and final Leave of you. As long as I am in this Tabernacle, to speak the Language of St. Peter, I shall think it meet, if defired and able, to ftir you up, by putting you in Re Phil. i. 8-II † Ver. 27, ‡ Phil. ii. 12, 13. R 4 mem membrance*. But this is the last Time I shall stand here in that peculiar Relation to you, which I have born so long. And now therefore, Brethren, to conclude with pronouncing over you the folemn Farewell of St. Paul, 1 commend you to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are fanctified. There may we meet again, never to part more! *2 Pet. i. 13. † Acts xx. 32. SER : SERMON X. Preached before the Governors of the London Hospital, or Infirmary, for the Relief of Sick and Diseased Perfons, especially Manufacturers, and Seamen in Merchants-Service, &c. at the Parifsh-Church of St. Lawrence-Jewry, on Wednesday, February 20, 1754. Ром. хіі. 8. -He that giveth, let him do it with Simplicity: be that ruleth, with Diligence: be that sheweth Mercy, with Cheerfulness. F all the benevolent Feelings, which God hath planted in our Nature, Compaffion is the most valuable. For it prompts us the most directly to relieve the Miserable, whose Distresses are much greater, than the Enjoyments of the Happy can be here below : and yet, without the Call of this tender Sympathy, we should, far oftener than we do, turn our Eyes from them, and leave them to their Fate. Persons of all Ranks are frequently in Circumstances, that demand Pity. But the higher Part of the World have it more in their Power to avoid Sufferings, than the lowest : and it is easier to afsist the latter effectually. Their Poverty alone, indeed, if they are well able to provide themselves Neceffaries, wants no Affistance. It is one requifite State in the Scale of Things, appointed by the Wisdom of Providence: and allows them a very comfortable Enjoyment of Life. But if Work be scarce, or their Families large, they may be grievoufly ftraitened, even in Health: and in Sickness, their Condition, though single, is lamentable; and, when married, often extremely fo. If only a Child be fick, they have seldom Leisure to attend it duly: but if the Parents are sick, all the Children must be neglected; and the Labour, which used to maintain them, cease. They are destitute, both of Knowledge what to do, and of Money to procure Directions and Medicines, nay, perhaps, proper Food. They follow, at random, the Suggestions of Neighbours, no wifer than themselves: or, after languishing long, and growing worse than they needed, have Recourse for Cure, often to ignorant, often to rapacious Creatures; who, if they chance to recover, yet strip them of all, and load them with Debts, that disquiet the reft of their Days; and too commonly drive them to destructive Cordials, which unhappily the most Needy can afford; or defperate Acts of Injustice to others, or Violence to their own Persons. Religion, |