the Rev. W. Turner , Jun. , MA., Lives of the eminent Unitarians

[174] reward of that integrity which marked the trying scenes of his outset in life,—‘A reward which is not, indeed, allotted by the wise and gracious Governor of the universe for all who in the same situation may have proved themselves equally sincere, but which is, however, abundantly and richly compensated by those inward consolations and joys that have in innumerable instances so well supported the upright and honest mind under the want of it. But, surely, there would be the utmost impropriety in supposing that the reward of virtue must needs debase its honour and diminish its worth. On the contrary, its natural tendency is to animate and confirm it.’¹

In the year 1728, Mr. Foster engaged in a Sunday evening lecture at the Old Jewry, which he continued as long as his powers of body and mind remained, with a degree of popularity at that time unexampled among dissenting ministers. ‘Here,’ says Dr. Fleming, ‘was a confluence of persons of every rank, station, and quality—wits, free-thinkers, numbers of clergy; who, while they gratified their curiosity, had their prepossessions shaken, and their prejudices loosened. And of the usefulness and success of these lectures, he had a large number of written testimonials from unknown as well as known persons. The flowers of oratory grew here upon the plant of divide truth and reason, from which his audience might gather fruit of the highest mental taste and moral complexion. And what gave the finishing stroke of this character was, that his popularity did not rob him of his humility ’