orable hand of Death? Muft every facred fympathy of foul be felt no more? Muft the fmile that cheared, the hand that affifted, the wifdom and tenderness which directed us in every viciffitude of life, be refigned for ever? Muft we bid an endless farewell to a worthy father, an indulgent mother, and every tender domeftic relative? Our wives and children too! Soul-piercing thought! muft we abandon them to the cold and parfimonious entertain-. ment which widows and orphans too frequently find? Defenceless, helplefs, as they are, how foon may they fall the unrefifting facrifice of oppreffive violence? Innocent and unfufpect-. ing, how foon may they become a prey to the fnares and arts of a mercenary, defigning, and infidious world? Thefe are too frequently the difmal retrofpects of a deathbed; and there are few of mankind who must not expect to lofe fome or all of thefe advantages in their tranfition from life. It is, therefore, of infinite importance to our tranquillity in this world, and our happinefs in the next, that we anticipate our future change, with all its confequences; fince this is the only way by which they can poffibly be confoled or redreffed. But of this more in our improvement.

SER

SERMON

The Subject continued.

2 KINGS, XX. I.

VII.

In thofe days was Hezekiah fick unto death: and the prophet Ifaiah the son of Amos came to him, and faid unto him, Thus faith the Lord, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live.

III.

WE

E fhould now proceed to contemplate Death in its most immediate and remarkable effects both on our fouls and bodies; but whilft formerly we recapitulated . the various accommodations and pleasures which must be refigned in our exit from the prefent ftate, this enumeration infenfibly led us to anticipate many of these effects: yet there are ftill fome which have not fallen under our obfervation; and which, by the grace of God, may difpofe us to entertain the prospect of Death with a folemnity becoming its importance. How decent, how lovely, how awful, how admirable, is this living ftructure man! how erect his ftature! how majestic his deportment! how nice and delicate his fymmetry! how noble and expreffive his countenance ! how various, and how properly adapted his powers! how numerous and aftonishing his functions! how fublime and energetic his ap

pearance

pearance in action! Such a fabric the prefent moment offers to our view; but to-morrowgreat and unfearchable God! how dreadful, how inconceivable is the change! Instead of that grace and variety of motion which we formerly beheld and admired, his whole frame is now chained in abfolute and perpetual inactivity. Inftead of that erect form, that majeftic and fignificant deportment, which lately charmed us, we now view him extended in the fame, difmal attitude for ever. Inftead of that vital and agreeable warmth formerly diffufed over his whole frame, effential frigidity itself, is not more cold than all his limbs, fo that every touch thrills the foul with ineffable horror. Instead of those beautiful colours, that' exquifite proportion, that inimitable expreffion, which once adorned his countenance, his eyes are fixed, and all their living fire extinct; his lips and cheeks are covered with one uniform palenefs, his features are become long, fharp, and ghaftly. Here let the felf-enamoured beauty, the darling idol of fame, the titled pageant of heraldry, the fplendid minion of fortune, re tire from the gilded equipage or luxurious table, and furvey the genuine image of their intrinfic greatness.

I will not protract this fad defcription, nor attend the mournful object in its progrefs to its native duft. Were I difpofed to indulge a humour of unneceffary declamation, I might pierce the funereal gloom, and delineate the hu.. man form in all the periods of its decay. But

let others traverfe the dark and noifome vault where mortality dwells in the pomp of ruin; let others contract the brow of Death in adventitious frowns, and cloud his afpect with hor rors not his own. I can fee no good effect to be produced by awaking and exaggerating the prejudices of fenfe and fancy. To expofe Nature in her dishabille, and detect her retired operations, may indeed agitate the weak or superftitious heart with ineffectual panics; but to a philofophical eye, all the forms which Nature wears, and all the impreflions of her hand, are equally venerable; nor does pure and undepraved Reafon admire her lefs in the process of her works to diffolution, than when her generative and prolific influence is exerted, to build once more the falling forms, and replenish the furface of the globe. Let it, however, mortify the vain ebullitions of human pride, (and what can humble us if fuch meditations will not?) that man may fay with propriety to the worm, "Thou art my fifter; and to corruption,Thou "art my father, and my mother." Here then let the curtain fall; the tragedy of man, at least in this view, has now reached its final cataftrophe. But there is another profpect not lefs affecting to a fenfible heart, than thofe which have already engaged us. It is not fufficient, that form and motion become the trophies of our mercilefs conqueror. At his ap proach the flame of life goes out, and all the powers of fenfation are no more. Truly light is sweet, and it is a delightful thing to behold

VOL. II.

L

the

the fun: how fair, how enchantingly fair, is the face of Nature, diverfified with flowery vales, wood-crown'd mountains, and cryftal rivers! How fweetly breathes the vernal gale, tinged with a mingled fragrance of ten thoufand odours! How harmonious and ravishing the found of mufic! But, O! farewell ye momentary beauties, henceforth ye exist for other fenfes, not for ours. The decifive inftant of agony and tears approaches; our part on this temporary theatre is finished, and we must give place to others, who already wait our ab fence to appear.

Well and wifely did the Pfalmift caution us, not to repose our confidence in princes, nor the fons of men, whose breath departs, whofe mortal connections and enterprises are in a moment effaced, and configned to endless forgetfulnefs. But amidst this awful revolution, whilst the moving and fenfible frame which connects us with furrounding objects, is divefted of its priftine dignity, and mixes with the inanimated earth from whence it rofe, what is the -fate of that unwearied energy within us, that principle which feels, reflects, determines? Is the foul, that emanation of divinity, that spark of celeftial intelligence, which God himfelf firft breathed into the human frame, fubjected to the fame diffolution with its material refidence? If so, why, (except in fome particular difeafes), why fhould it retain the full poffef fion of its powers, and independence of its nature, even to the laft palpitation of the heart

and