be born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Our Natural Alliance to God, which is a Relation that all Creatures ftand in to their Creator, will not give us a Title to the Heavenly Inheritance: we must be Children of God by Regeneration, and adopted into the Family of Heaven, before the Scripture pronounces us Coheirs with Jefus Chrift; which to be perfuaded of, on folid grounds, will make the pale Face of a dying Saint fhine with the Luftre of an Angel, and fill his Soul with a Joy that is unIpeakable and full of Glory.

(3.) How fhould thofe contemn this World, that live in the conftant Expectation of confummate Happiness in Heaven? The Fashion of this World paffeth away; why should we chafe the flying Shadow? All the Pleasures and Delights of Senfe are vanishing and deceitful alfo, like an imaginary Entertainment in a Dream, which feeds the Fancy; but as foon as we awake, we find nothing but Emptinefs and Disappointment. O that we could always view this vain World in a true and undeceiving Light, as thofe generally do that are fick and dying! then we should foon be able to say with the Apoftle, We are crucified to the World, and the World to us.

(4.) How reasonable is it that fuch as are in expectation of confummate Happiness in Heaven hereafter, fhould have their Converfation there now? We profefs to have Treafure in Heaven, there furely our Hearts fhould be. Why fhould our Souls be charmed and captivated with the little Gaieties of Life, when the great Concerns of Eternity are on our Hands, and Crowns of Glory are in our View? (5.) Let

(5.) Let the Reward we expect in Heaven make us patient and content under all the Afflictions we meet with on Earth. Brethren, fays the Apostle, the time is short: tho our Trials are fharp, they fhall not be long; Weeping may endure for a Night, but Joy fhall come in the Morning. Thefe light Afflictions that are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.

(6.) Let the Confideration of that Reward that the Saints hope to receive after Death, reconcile 'em to the Thoughts of Dying. Why should we be unwilling to leave a vain World, and that our Souls fhould diflodg from our vile and troublefom Bodies, when they are to pass into the blissful Prefence of the King of Glory? If our Tempers were truly Chriftian, we should groan, earnestly defiring to be clothed upon with our Houfe which is from above; and be willing rather to be abSent from the Body, that we might be prefent with the Lord.

(7.) Let the Confideration of there being a Crown of Righteousness laid up for all that love Chrift's Appearing, comfort us under the Lofs of our Pious Relations. Indeed the more excellent our Friends are, the greater Lofs we fuftain by their Removal; and that which fhould alleviate our Sorrow, gives us a deeper Wound: for the fitter our Friends are for Heaven, the more defirable is their Society upon Earth. But yet, after all, 'tis fome Relief to confider that those that were dear to us, have only made an advantageous Change; they have parted with this Earth for Heaven, with our Society below for better Company above; their Faith is turn'd into Vision, and

their Hope into Enjoyment; they were lately languishing on a Bed of Sickness, but now are fhining on an Illuftrious Throne. Such Thoughts as thefe I may reasonably fuggeft to the furviving Relations of that Excellent Minifter of the Gospel, Mr. Thomas Harrison, whofe Decease has occafion'd this Difcourfe; for he could fay in the View of Death, I have fought a good Fight, &c. And is He dead? O heavy Tidings! To mention it, chills my very Blood and Spirits. And is He dead? And fhall you fee his Face, and hear his Voice no more from this Pulpit? Well, but his Name lives, and will diffufe grateful Odours to a late Pofterity: for tho he is dead, he yet fpeaketh; and in Juftice and Gratitude to his Memory, I have feveral things to fay, that are lovely and of good Report.

And tho I had fuch an Affection for the Perfon deceased, that I can say it with all the Seriousness that becomes my Character, that if it had been the Will of God, and I had been as ripe for Heaven as he was, I should rather have chofen to have filled his Tomb, than to have stood on this fad Occafion in his Pulpit : Yet I hope the Strength of my Paffion will not biafs my Judgment; and that I fhall fpeak nothing but the Words of Truth and Soberness. There is no danger of flattering the Dead, and I am under no Temptation to do it to the Living. I proceed therefore to fay fomething concerning our Deceafed Friend, whofe very early Years were devoted to Heaven, and his Soul betimes imbued with the Grace of God. He took upon him the folemn Profeffion of Religion, and became a Member of an Honourable Church of Christ, about the Age that our Saviour

Saviour was, when he difputed with the Jewish Doctors: And like the Mafter he ferv'd, He grew in Wisdom and Stature, and in Favour with God and Man.

In his blooming Youth he discover'd an extraordinary Relish of Divine things, and his Thirst after folid Knowledg was fuch, that he could not stoop to the Trifles of Trade (for which he was defigned) but his Capacious Soul afpir'd after fomething higher. And fo foon as he obtain'd full Liberty for Study, he made a confiderable Proficiency in Useful Learning, being train'd up under a Learned * Tutor now alive; as he before had had the Advice, Converfation, and Advantage of fitting under the Ministry of two Excellent and Judicious Divines, joint Paftors of that Church to which he stood related for above twenty Years.

When he had a due Call to preach in Publick (for he did not run before he was fent) he foon difcover'd his excellent Qualifications for the Minifterial Work: For as he had entertained very clear and found Notions concerning the Fundamental Articles of our Holy Religion; fo the feveral Graces that adorn the Christian Life did fhine with an admirable Luftre through his whole Conduct. His Life in every Inftance was agreeable to his Profeffion. He was not a trifling, airy Profeffor, but a folid fubftantial Chriftian; one that was able to speak to Cafes of Confcience from his own Experience, as well as from the Books of Cafuifts.

Mr. Thomas Rowe.

† Dr. Nebem. Cox, and Mr. William Collins.

He

He had laid in fo good a Fund of Useful Knowledg, and fo read and studied Divinity, that upon the propofing of a Question he would immediately fpeak to it with great Pe netration and Accuracy, yet not without a becoming Deference to those that exceeded him in Years; tho he would abide by the Notions he had efpous'd, till the Evidence of Reason oblig'd him to quit them.

He was a Perfon of great Integrity of Soul, a Nathanael indeed, one that could be facetious in Conversation without being frothy and vain, and serious without being morofe and fullen.

He kept himself (through the Grace of God) unfpotted from the World: He kept Innocence, and took heed to the thing that was right. And fo great a Concern had he for the Honour of his Holy Profeffion, that he would deny himself in things innocent in their own Nature, rather than fcandalize the Weak, or lay a Stumblingblock before the openly Profane. He was a careful Obferver of the Apostolick Injunction, To abstain from all Appearance of Evil. And one thing I have often remark'd concerning him (which I believe all that knew him will confefs) he was a very Religious Obferver of his Word, his Promises were as fure and Sacred as an Oath.

He was in every Relation Defirable and Praife-worthy, a Dutiful Son, a Tender Affectio nate Husband, a Kind Father, a Prudent Mafter, a True and Lafting Friend, and a Faithful Labo rious Minifter. But 'tis the last of these I am more eminently concern'd to fpeak of at this time; and indeed I can fpeak with the more Freedom, because he was one who lived fo that his Sermons might be read in his Conversation:

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