for many Favours; great in themselves, but made much greater by Your free and generous manner of conferring them. For they were not the Effects of Importunity, or the juft Rewards of Domeftick Service; they sprang not from Dependance, or Acquaintance; being beftow'd on One, who was (at the firft) little known to Your Lordship, otherwise than by his honeft Endeavours to retrieve thoseSynodical Rights of the Clergy, whereof You, my LORD, have been all along, to Your great Honour, the avow'd Patron and Defender.

I

I mention not this Inftance of Your LORDSHIP'S Goodness to Me, with any View of Distinguishing my felf from Others: for You have done nothing in My cafe, but what You have fre quently practis'd, fince the time that Divine Providence, for the good of this Church, rais'd You to the Episcopal Dignity; Nothing, but what hath been fucceffively acknowledg'd by all Thofe who have prefix'dYourRight Reverend Name to their Labours, from the Learned and Venerable D Pocock, down to the mean Author of

the following Sermons. And, while Your LORDSHIP CONtinues to repeat the fame Acts of Generofity, You must be contented to receive the very fame Acknowledgments fince We, who share the Obligations, can fcarce find a better way of expreffing our Thanks, and doing justice to Your Character, than by informing the World, Why, and How they were deriv'd to us.

The Secrecy, with which Wife Statesmen conduct their Designs for the Publick Good, fo, as that the Execution alone fhall make

the

the Discovery, hath by Your Lordship been as carefully obferv'd in Your Private Schemes of Beneficence; which have seldom appear'd, till they took Effect, and furpris'd even Thofe, who were moft nearly interested in the Succefs of them. By this means, You have, after the best manner, forbidden all Applications, by rendring them, not only unneceffary, but impracticable; and have enjoy'd to the utmost, both the Honour, and the Pleafure of well-doing. Indeed,there is fcarce any Virtue, which either difpoA 4 fes

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fes the Mind to deserve well of others, or adds Comeliness and Grace to deferving Actions, that doth not mani feftly appear, and fhine in Your Lordship

and by

thefe Recommending Circumftances You engage the very Hearts of Thofe You Oblige, and double the Value of every Kindness You do them.

To give, hoping (and looking) for nothing again, is the Gofpel Rule of Beneficence; and Your Lordship hath ftrictly obferv'd it. For none of Your Gifts have been clogg'd with Conditions 3

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