TO THE REVEREND DR. THOMAS WILSON, Rector of St. Stephen's Walbrook, Prebendary of Westminster, Chaplain to his Majesty, &c. SIR, IN obedience to your request, I fend you the Sermon preached at the Funeral of your most worthy Father, our late moft excellent Bishop. I am very fenfible of its inequality to the merits of fo great and good a man; but for this, all just allowances will be made by the candid and ingenuous, when it is confidered what disadvantages we labour under here, fo remote from the fources of science and learning. In this view, it is fubmitted to your favour and indulgence, by, Sir, Your very obedient humble fervant, DOUGLAS, March 29, 1755. and fincere friend, PHILIP MOQRE, SERMON C. PSALM CXii. 6. THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE HAD IN EVERLASTING N this Pfalm we have exemplified the character and description of a truly good and pious man; as alfo an account of the rewards which God has promised and annexed to his holiness and virtue. The first and principal part of his character is, that he fears God; which is the beginning. of all true wisdom, and the fure foundation of all virtue and goodness. The fecond, his obedience to the divine commandments. For thus we have it: Bleed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. The next part of the good man's character is, his beneficence and juftice to mankind; according to ver. 4, He is merciful, loving, and righteous. Another valuable part of his character is, his prudence and good economy in the management of his affairs and words; for thofe he will guide with difcretion. The The conclufive part of his character is, his Charity. The good man is merciful, and lendeth. He hath dispersed abroad, and given to the poor. This, I fay, is a short sketch of the good man's character, as pointed out as described in this Pfalm. Let us next obferve and fee the rewards promised him. First, and in general, that he is blessed; bleffed with fuch a competency of wealth and honour as God in his wifdom fees neceffary, proper, and convenient, for his rank and ftation in the world. This is as much as any man can reasonably expect, and much more than the worthieft, and moft deferving, can properly merit. 2dly. He is bleffed with tranquillity and peace of mind in all ftations of life, from a fixed and determined affurance of the divine protection. He enjoys that peace of God which paffeth all understanding,-that peace, which as the world cannot give, fo neither can it take away. His heart is established, and will not shrink: for his heart ftandeth faft, and confideth in the Lord. A good man's fecurity for happiness is founded on the promises of God; which never did, nor ever will, fail or disappoint the man that trufted in him. For though many may fometimes be the troubles of the righteous, yet God, in mercy, finally delivers him out of all. If we take the generality of good, of charitable, and pious men, we fhall, on compari fon, find them evermore eafier, happier, and more fecure in their stations, than wicked and oppreffive men, who can have no claim to the divine protection. That the man who refts fecure on the providence of God, will neither be lightly elated with profperity, nor much dejected with grief or fear, on a change of his condition: That neither the affaults of wicked men, nor wicked spirits, can vanquish his integrity; for that will he hold faft, and not let it go; his heart fhall not reproach him as long as he lives. When any calamity or distress befals him, he is not borne down with the fudden fhock; but his hopes and spirits are fupported by his firm dependance on a good and gracious God; whofe difpenfations, however feemingly fe vere, he knows, and is affured, are ultimately intended for his greater good, and in the end will be infinitely more to his advantage, than if left entirely to the direction of his own choice. For, furely, the righteous fhall not be moved for ever. For death, inftead of removing, fixes him in an eternal state of happiness, glory, and immortality. This is the grand point in view;-the fole end of all his hopes, all his labours;-the crown and perfection of his personal happiness. He He is not only happy and bleffed in his own person, but in every thing else that belongs to him, his relations, his friends, and dependants. But above, and beyond all thefe, he is blessed in that happy memorial of a good and excellent name, which he leaves behind him amongst men. For the memory of the juft is blessed: and the righteous fhall be bad in everlasting remembrance. And this is juft the cafe and character of this great and good man, our Right Reverend and most worthy Father in God, whofe funeral we are here affembled to folemnize. I fhall not pretend to give you here a history of his life; that will require more confideration than the shortnefs of the present time will allow me. It will require a much abler hand to do this fubject juftice, and better information than I can at prefent procure. I fhall therefore befpeak your favour and indulgence, whilft I attempt to lay before you fome confiderations, tending to fhew how greatly, how eminently, this great and worthy perfonage was qualified with all the requifites that compofe the effential character of a good and excellent man, as described in this Pfalm from whence the text is taken. And in confequence of this, that he is entitled, through the mercy of God in Jefus Christ, to the general reward of that blessed nefs, |