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SER M. the colours and graces, the life and foul of things do confift; whereby they please, affect, and move us: but example imparts thereto a goodly corpulency, a life, a motion, renders it confpicuous, fpecious, and active, transforming its notional univerfality into the reality of fingular fubfiftence. This difcourfe is verified by various experience; for we find all masters of art and science explicating, illuftrating, and confirming their general rules and precepts by particular examples. Mathematicians demonftrate their theorems by fchemes and diagrams, which, in effect, are but fenfible inftances; orators back their enthymemes (or rational argumentations) with inductions (or fingular examples); philofophers allege the practice of Socrates, Zeno, and the like perfons of famous wifdom and virtue, to authorize their doctrine: politics and civil prudence is more easily and sweetly drawn out of good hiftory, than out of books de Republica. Artificers defcribe models, and fet patterns before their difciples, with greater fuccefs, than if they fhould deliver accurate rules and precepts to them. For who would not more readily learn to build, by viewing carefully the parts and frame of a well contrived structure, than by a ftudious enquiry into the rules of architecture; or to draw, by fetting a good picture before him, than by merely fpeculating upon the laws of perfpective; or to write fairly and expeditioufly, by imitating one good copy, than by hearkening to a thoufand oral prefcriptions; the underftanding of which, and faculty of applying them to practice, may prove more difficult and tedious, than the whole practice itself as directed by a copy? Neither is the cafe much different in moral concernments; one good example may represent more fully and clearly to us the nature of a virtue, than any verbose defcription thereof can do: in fooner time, and with greater eafe, we may learn our duty by regarding the deportment of fome excellent perfon,

than

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than by attending to many philofophical difcourfes s E R M. concerning it: for inftance, if we defire to know what faith is, and how we should rely upon the Divine Providence, let us propofe to our confideration the practice of Abraham; wherein we may fee the father of the faithful leaving a moft pleasant country, the place of his nativity, and queftionless moft dear unto him under that notion; deferting his home and fixed habitation, his estate and patrimony, his kindred and acquaintance, to wander he knew not where in unknown lands, with all his family, leading an uncertain and ambulatory life in tents, fojourning and shifting among ftrange people, devoid of piety and civility (among Canaanites and Egyptians), upon a bare confidence in the Divine protection and guidance; we may fee him, aged ninety-nine years, fenfible of his own natural impotence, and an equal incapacity in his confort as to fuch purposes, yet with a steady belief affuring himself, that from thofe dead ftocks a numerous progeny should spring, and that he, who by all power of nature was unable to beget one child, fhould, by virtue of God's omnipotent word, become the father of a mighty nation: we may fee him upon the firft fummons of the Divine command, without fcruple or hefitancy, readily and cheerfully yielding up his only fon, (the fole ground of his hope, and prop of his family, to whofe very perfon the promise of multiplication was affixed,) to

Xen. Apomn. 4. It was Xenophon's obfervation, grounded upon his own experience, that the memory of Socrates's converfation did greatly profit his acquaintance. (Τὸ μεμνήσθαι μὴ παρόνος οὐ μικρὰ ὠφελεῖ τοὺς εἰωθότας αὐτῷ συνεῖναι.) And Seneca faith, that the crowd of philofophers, which followed the fame wife man, derived more of their ethics from his manners than his words (plus ex moribus, quam ex verbis Socratis traxit). Sen. Ep. 11. And he that shall reflect upon the ftory concerning his behaviour, when he was by malicious envy perfecuted to death, may perhaps be more edified thereby, than by all his fubtle difcourfes about death, and the foul's state after it.

be

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SER M. be facrificed and flain; not objecting to his own reafon the palpable inconfiftency of counfels fo repugnant, nor anxioufly labouring to reconcile the feeming contrariety between the Divine promises and commands; but refolved as it were (with an implicit faith in God) to believe things incredible, and to rely upon events impoffible; contemplating these things, let us fay what discourse could fo livelily defcribe the nature of true faith, as this illustrious precedent doth.

Again, he that would learn how to demean himfelf in refifting the affaults of temptation, let him confider that one carriage of Jofeph; of him, together withstanding the courtships of an attractive beauty, and rejecting the folicitations of an imperious miftrefs, advantaged by opportunities of privacy and folitude; when the refufal was attended with extreme danger, and all the mischiefs which the difdain of a furious luft disappointed, of an outrageous jealoufy provoked, of a loving master's confidence abused, could produce; and all this by one of meaneft condition, in a strange place, where no interceffion, favour, or patronage of friends could be had, no equal examination of his cause might be expected; of him doing this, merely upon principles of confcience, and out of fear of God; (faying, How can I do this great evil, and fin against God?), and he that confiders this example, how can he be ignorant of his duty in the like cafe?

Again, would we learn wifdom, conftancy, and refolution in the conduct of honeft and worthy defigns, let us fet before our eyes the pattern of Mofes, and therein take notice, how he, obeying Divine inftinct and direction, having embraced that noble purpose of refcuing his countrymen from the Egyptian bondage, of fettling them in a method of happy policy, and of bringing them into the promised land of their enjoyment, did behave himself in the execution thereof; with how indefatigable induftry he

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folicited their caufe with a fickle, and deceitful, ftu-s E R M. pid, and hard-hearted king; enduring frequent difappointments and repulfes, together with furious ftorms of anger, and moft terrible menaces from him how having there furmounted all obftacles, and effectually enlarged the people from their restraint in Egypt, he led them on foot through a valley, encompaffed with mountains of fea; and after that undertook a tedious march (a march of 40 years) through a wild, barren, and dry folitude, (where no water was, but fuch as iffued from the ftony bowels of a rock; no food, or means of subsistence, but fuch as was fupplied by the miraculous purveyance of Heaven,) in the meanwhile refifting the continual invafions of open enemies, in great numbers with armed violence ftriving to obftruct his paffage, and defeat his purpofe; having alfo (which was more) his patience conftantly exercifed in fupporting the froward perverseness of a moft incredulous and intractable people, which took all occafions of complaint and mutiny against him; in contefting with the factious rivality of envious nobles, who repined at his fucceffes, and maligned his authority among them; in bearing the indifcreet and untoward prevarications of his own moft intimate friends and nearest relations, complying with the wicked humours and defires of the people; in fuftaining many other perplexities and croffes; all which notwithstanding, he with infuperable refolution happily achieved his glorious undertaking: and will not this example, attentively regarded, beyond the power of any other means or method, explain to us the way of industry, courage, and perfeverance in good and worthy, though high and difficult enterprises?

One inftance more, and that of all most pertinent to our occafion: Would you be inftructed, how faithfully to discharge the minifterial, or any other office? With a steadfast attention then behold the excellent pattern of St. Paul, confider how in all his defigns he zealously and fingly aimed at the honour and fervice of God, neglect.

VOL. II.

K

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SER M. neglecting his own fafety, quiet, credit, and all worldly accommodations for the advancement of them: how affectionately he tendered the good and welfare of those, the care of whofe fpiritual condition was commended to him, using all his skill, care, and strength in promoting their edification; declaring himfelf for their good to be content, not only for a time to be abfent from the Lord, being deprived of that happiness which he otherwife impatiently groaned for, and was fully affured of; but defirous, as it feems, to be fecluded for ever from his blifsful presence, by a dreadful Anathema, for their fake: how prudently, meekly, and humbly he demeaned himself toward them; becoming all things to all men, forming himself into all allowable shapes and colours; undergoing all forts of cenfure and imputations, (of a defpicable, an ignorant, a foolish perfon;) tempering his fpeech and deportment to their capacities and needs, bearing their mifcarriages, and complying with their weakneffes; parting freely with his own juft liberty, pleasure, and fatisfaction, for their spiritual advantage: how generously he despised his own profit and ease, refufing that fupply he might with all reason and equity have required from them; choofing to maintain himself with the labour of his own hands, and the sweat of his brows, that he might render the Gospel nowife burdenfome or offenfive to them: how vigilantly and courageously he withstood the mifchievous endeavours of falfe brethren, and treacherous feducers; carneftly contending for the Church's peace and quiet against factious fpirits, and for the fubftantial truths of the Gofpel against the pernicious devices of heretics and falfe teachers: how patiently he sustained all manner of pains, griefs, travels, wants, loffes, hazards, diftreffes, difappointments, affronts, and reproaches for the honour of God, the benefit of his fpiritual children, the discharge of his duty, and fatiffaction of his confcience: these things, I fay, regard, and then tell me, if he might not reasonably inculcate