iquity." Now if our gratitude to God for all his mercies should prove too weak, yet methinks the sense of our own danger, on the one hand, and the hopes of such glorious rewards, on the other, should awaken us, stir up and quicken our endeavours, to keep our bodies in such a posture, as that they might be fit to appear in the glorious company, of which we all hope one day to be partakers. For, sure, there is none that has a lower aim than heaven and happiness; and how then can we hope to raise ourselves thither, encumbered with such a load of sin and uncleanness? Our Saviour bids us pluck out our right eyes, if they offend; for it is better for us to go to heaven with one, than having two eyes to be cast into hell. And St. Paul bids us "mortify our members that are upon earth," which is certainly a reasonable doctrine to us, who daily experience a war in our members, the flesh against the spirit. So that we must divest ourselves of all humanity, and become like beasts that have no understanding, if, knowing the way to heaven, we willingly, or rather wilfully, run out of it.

I cannot better conclude than with the advice of the same St. Paul:-"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you ? which ye have of God, and ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Now to God the Father who created us; to God the Son who so plentifully redeemed us; to God

356 FOURTH SERMON AT ST. MARTINS-IN-THE-FIELDS.

the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth us both in body and soul; three persons and one God; be ascribed, as is most due, all honour, glory, praise, power, might, majesty, and dominion, from this time forth and for ever! Amen.

A

LETTER,

&c.

REVEREND BRETHREN,

Ir was a great disappointment to me, that my health would not permit me to attend you personally in my last Visitation; though, in regard to every thing essential and necessary in that business, my place was perfectly well supplied by my excellent chancellor. There was indeed an affair at that time depending, which I should very gladly have communicated to you; an affair in which your interest and credit, indeed the interest and credit of the Church of England in general, was intimately and deeply concerned. It was the question of the legality of general bonds of resignation which I had then determined to contest: a question which had been decided in the affirmative by the Courts of Westminster Hall; and upon that decision had passed for law for almost two centuries: a decision from the first never acquiesced in, frequently disputed, but upon no occasion ever