As to the Character of the Deceafed, fo far as I went into it, 'tis a Satisfaction to me, that I bave your Concur rence: for the World must think your printing the Sermon a loud Atteftation to the Justice of my Obfervations on that bead. I fpake indeed with the greater Freedom, because in your bearing, who could witness I spoke in the Words of Truth and Sobernefs.

It was the known Principle and Practice of the deceafed Servant of God to use a remarkable Caution and Modefty of Speech on fuch Occafions; nor could be relish the flow'ry Pomp of Funeral Oratory, fo common, and fo often abus'd, in praifing the Dead, to flatter the Living: Yet where any appear'd to him Perfons of diftinguifh'd Merits, and fuch as by general Suffrage wou'd be allow'd to have fomething due to their Memory, he wou'd fet an Afterim on their bonourable Names, recommend their bright Example to Imitation, and speak of their excellent Gifts, Graces, and Services, to the Honour of that God, who bless'd them, and made them Bleffings to their Generation. Witness in particular bis Funeral Sermon for the late Rev. Mr. Thomas Bridge, his worthy Colleague in the Paftoral Relation, and my immediate Predeceffor: The Text and the Difcourfe moft fitly applicable for the Author's own Funeral Sermon. And accordingly I recommend it to your ferious Review on this Occafion.

I take Leave now to remind You, with what a numerous Succeffion of eminent Lights this golden Candlestick has been diftinguifh'd. You have had your Wilfon, Cotton, Norton, Davenport, Oxenbridge, Allen, Bridge, and Wadsworth; precious Gifts to you from our afcended Saviour, Paftors and Teachers, who have fed You with Knowledge and Underftauding: Befides whom, You have enjoy'd the occafional Labours of feveral worthy Affiftants (Moodey and Bailey in particular) for many Months, or Years together. Your evangelical Advantages furely have

been

been great and if your fpiritual Improvements be not in Jome Proportion, your Account will be awful. And for my own part, when I confider, I am afraid. It bath often been a folemn Thought with me, In whofe Room Iftood up; what aged, learned, laborious, wife, and venerable Men of God have fucceffively gone before me in this boly Miniftry and the Reflection has been very humbling to me, by a Senfe of my own comparative Infufficiency, Inexperience, Unworthiness, Nothingness. Sure I am, I've the greatest Reafon to stand astonish'd at the Divine Patience towards me: and to admire your Candour to me, your kind Acceptance of my Labours, and the generous Tokens of your Love in Reward of them, while I have been with many Imperfections miniftring among You, now full 20 Years. And tho' according to the general Run of buman Life, I may have ftill many Days to ferve You; yet the furprizing Blow of God's chaftning Hand upon me, not many Months fince (when all about my Bed concluded me under a Sentence of Death) and my habitual Infirmities in Confequence thereof, did awfully warn me, and do daily admonish me, not to expect a long Continuance in this prefent evil World. O join your Prayers with mine, that a Life fo wonderfully reprieved from Deftruction,

may

be employed more than ever for the Glory of God and the Service of your Souls, to which I hope it is fincerely devoted; and that when called from You (God only knows how foon or fuddenly) I may be found with my Work done, and my Accounts ready, and may finish my Course with Joy. I wish you a durable, as well as great Bleffing, in my dear Colleague, your other Paftor! And this I pray, that your Love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgment; that ye may approve Things that are excellent, and continue in the Things which ye have learned, and be watchful to strengthen the Things which remain that are ready to die.

Let

Let us all concur in beartily lamenting the great and growing Degeneracies of the prefent Day: and let us unite our fervent Prayers, our folicitous Cares, and ftrenuous Endeavours for the happy Refurrection and Flourifhing of Religion and Virtue among us, which is our Life, our trueft profperity, and brightest Crown. Surely it is Time to feek the Lord, till He come and rain Righteoufnefs upon us.

And have we not Reafon to lay to Heart the many forrowful Inftances of Mortality, we've seen in the Course of a very few Years, among our Pious and Ufeful, and our Aged and Honorable? For behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hofts, doth take away from us the Stay and the Staff, the Judge, and the Prophet, and the Prudent, and the Ancient, the honourable Man, and the Counsellor, the cunning Artificer, and the eloquent Orator. Verily by repeated Loffes of Men of Note in the Congregation, a boly fovereign God has been not only leffening our Number, but thinning our Glory, impoverishing our Treasury, and weakning our Strength. Their hoary Heads were a vifible Ornament in our Affembly; their fhining Characters reflected a fuperior Luftre upon it; and their feveral Interefts, Powers, and active Virtues abundantly strengthen'd our Hands, and encourag'd our Hearts. But now a melancholy Emptiness is feen, where they us'd to appear and act. Alas, bow fadly do we miss them! What lamentable Vacancies do we bebold in one Seat and another; and few of the like excellent Spirit and Talents fucceeding to fill up their Places! Have we not Reafon to cry out, with the Prophet! O Lord God, ceafe, I befeech Thee; by whom fhall Jacob arife? for he is fmall. Come and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath fmitten, and He will bind us up.

We are bleeding particularly by a fresh and deep Wound in the Decease of that good and merciful Man, one of our

worthy

worthy and faithful Deacons, the late Mr. Jonathan Williams; over whofe Grave I cannot refrain dropping a Tear of Condolence with You, and paying a fmall Tribute to his Memory. May the God of all Grace fanctify the Death of his Servant to the bereaved Children and Relatrves, to his mournful Brethren in Office, and to us all! We have loft in him the amiable Example of a devout, just, peaceable, charitable, and humble Chriftian, and the valuable Help of a very active, prudent, and ufeful Servant of the Church. The main Qualifications of a Deacon, as they are laid down by the infpir'd Apoftle in his Epistle to Timothy, were visible in this our Brother, Gravity, Integrity, Temperance, Generofity, found Faith, and a pure Confcience. We must bear him this Teftimony, that he bath used his Office well; and having ferved his Generation according to the Will of God, he is (with Stephen) fallen afleep. But if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even fo them also which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him: and for our further Confolation, in. the mean time, we fee Jefus who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the fuffering of Death, crown'd with Glory and Honour; Head over all things to his Church, and the Saviour of the Body. Having afcended up on high, he has received Gifts for Men: and of his Fulness may we still look to receive, even Grace for Grace; Bleffing upon Bleffing. Ye that make Mention of the LORD, keep not Silence: and give Him no Reft, till He establish, and till He make our Jerufalem a Praise in the Earth, as in former Years, and as in the Days of old; even until the Righteousness thereof go forth as Brightness; and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth. Let it be your Prayer day and night, that a gracious God wou'd pardon our Sins, and heal our Backflidings, whereby we have expos'd our felves to his fearful Judgments; That he would return and visit his Pecple, made weak by the Fall of fo many of his righteous Ones; and that He wou'd clofe the Breaches in our Walls,

B

by

by raifing up a Succeffion of Perfons of a like excellent Spirit and exemplary useful Life, as thofe that have left us, and who may be like Blefings to us, bright Pledges of his fpiritual Prefence in the midst of us. He has promifed his gracious Prefence to his Church to the End of the World. Let us be Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes. So we may hope, He will be with us, as He was with our Fathers, and will never leave nor forfake us. Rejoyce in the Lord alway: and again I fay, Rejoyce in Him, the inexhaustible Fountain of Life, who (whatever Streams are dried up) remains the fame for ever. Be careful for nothing; but in every Thing by Prayer and Supplication, with Thankf giving, let your Requests be made known to God: And the Peace of God, which passeth all Understanding, fhall keep your Hearts through Christ Jesus: To whom be Glory in the Churches, World without End. Amen.

These are the fincere Sentiments, Advices and Wishes of

Your affectionate Paftor,

Thomas Foxcroft.

Bofton, April 2. 1737.