title, to her favour. His bofom was touched by her gentleft infpirations; his life had been one entire offering to Her. He had never done an unjust action, never an unkind one. But a negative goodness could not content his generous foul: he aimed from the beginning at fomething more divine; he a'pired to the fublimity of Chriftian perfection. Through the fucceffive degrees of his order, he afcended by the ftrength of merit folely, till by the continued and growing friendship of his fovereign, refponfive to the public voice, he arrived at the fummit of facerdotal preferment in his country. There he fat with the mild dignity of unpretending excellence; for, as he had attained this height withbut ambition, he poffeffed it without pride. He deemed it indeed, on account of the numerous and difficult duties it demanded, a painful preeminence, and only for the fatisfaction of discharging them, defirable. His large revenue, and

larger power, he faithfully employed for the interefts of VIRTUE and those of her, lovely attendant RELIGION, which he ftill regarded as infeparably conjoined : their common cause he had ever pleaded with an oratory which all admired, and few could equal. His auditors liftened, with awful recollection, and caught the vital spirit that iffued from his lips: they believed thofe ftrains in commendation of Holiness to be genuine, which streamed fo naturally from a feeling and abundant, heart. His elocution eafy, yet strong and beautiful, his manner fimple, yet expreffive and noble, rendered him a valuable model in the preaching art; an art which he never proftituted to palliate the vices of the great, or humour the paffions of the vulgar, to promote the defigns of a party, or kindle the deftructive flame of theological debate. No one ever knew better to reconcile Politeness with Sincerity, affability with grandeur, the warmeft attachment to TRUTH with the

jufteft regard for Toleration. When the king and the nation were in danger, his magnanimous behaviour difcovered that Loyalty, Refolution, and Public Zeal, confpired to animate his bofom but Peace was his darling object, as became a fervant of the PRINCE OF PEACE; and Moderation was his conftant companion. Thefe placid difpofitions he had on every proper occafion recommended to all; to those especially of his own profeffion:" the poorest and the lowest of the latter' he, though raifed fo far above them, never failed to regard as his brethren while their behaviour was becoming and modeft; for indecency or petulance, in a preacher of Humility and Righteousness, excited his particular abhorrence. He was a father to the church: the fons of the clergy he cherifhed as his fons. Butkindness in him was not circumfcribed to perfons of his own perfuafion; its rays, like those of the fun, were expanded through the general orbit of humanity.

His religious fentiments might be said to refemble the fame glorious luminary: they were all benign and bright, unconfined by local prejudices, and impartial as that eye of Nature. Good without often

tation, and friendly without pretence, his promises were few, his fervices many. He was beloved by worthy men of all denominations: he was revered even by the worthless, whom he compaffionately admonished, not reproached, unless they added malignity or infolence to their other crimes; and then, in imitation of his divine Mafter, he treated them with a mixture of pity and indignation: he was hated by none but bigots, whom he forgave always, and ferved when he could. A friend to the followers of VIRTUE, a benefactor to the children of mifery, his inexhauftible benevolence, like fome perennial fpring, perpetually flowed to both; to those most, who moft deferved and wanted it. Here the Recorder made a fhort paufe, looked at the venerable man,

and then added with warmth, I attest "DOCTOR HERRING to have been a faithful minifter of VIRTUE, and of "JESUS!"

The GODDESS fmiled affent, and thus adreffed him "My friend and advo

cate! I thank you for fupporting my caufe fo nobly. I am at a lofs to pronounce which has been moft per«fuafive, your eloquence, or your ex"ample. How happy for mankind, were << all of your order to imitate both! "Henceforth take your ftation at the "gate of my Temple, and conduct my 46 purer worshippers to the inmoft fanc "tuary, where PERFECTION and HAP

PINESS fit enthroned, and are en's * circled in each other's arms for ever."

This faid, the ordained him to be crowned with a golden mitre, on the fore part of which was a heart embossed with diamonds, whence proceeded a lambent flame, fignifying in the fymbolical lan