PREACHED AT THE FUNERAL OF OLD MRS. MURRAY.

THE HAPPINESS OF THOSE WHO DIE IN THE FAITH AND FAVOUR OF GOD.

REV. xiv. 13.

BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD, FROM HENCEFORTH: YEA, SAITH THE SPIRIT, THAT THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS; AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM.

T was with great reafon, that our church made these words a part of her office for the burial of the dead.

Either relation, or friendship, or decency, or custom, fome confideration or other, brings always a number of people together upon thefe occafions.

And the very occafion itself is apt to make most people more ferious and thoughtful than ordinary.

And the whole office is defigned, and is most proper, to improve our seriousness to the best purposes, particularly these words I have made choice of for our prefent meditations; not, I hope, without very good reasons.

For,

For, in the first place, every body who knew the person whofe remains now lie before us will, I am perfuaded, conclude, that I have not made an improper choice of a subject for this occafion.

If an unblemished character, if a good life, (the beft proof of a fincere faith) if a moft commendable induftry, which yet never hindered her from attending the publick worfhip; if a peaceable and inoffensive conduct, which appeared in her having scarce an enemy. in the world; if a moft tender care and concern for her family and relations, and yet a most remarkable patience and refignation to the will of God, upon the lofs of fo many hopeful children taken away in the bloom of their years; laftly, if an exemplary temperance, which, through the bleffing of God, preferved her health, and lengthened her days to an uncommon age; if fuch virtues as these will justify us in applying the general promises of the gospel to particular cafes and perfons, I fhall not be judged to have mifapplied a facred text to purposes unworthy of a minister of Chrift.

But the Church had a further design in the choice of this fcripture for this office. She confidered the cafe of the living in that of the dead; as alfo what generally comes into the thoughts of ferious people upon the death of their friends: That now their condition is unalterably fixed;-they are either

happy

happy or miferable, and fure to be fo for

ever.

She would therefore have all her members admonished by this fo often repeated portion. of fcripture, fo to lead their lives, as that their friends may have comfort in their death.

An he would have their friends, as St. Paul exhorts us, not to be overmuch concerned, not to forrow as men without hope, for them that fleep in Chrift; fince we have the word of God for it, that fuch as are dead in the Lord are bleffed and happy.

Befides all this, I had in my thoughts a too general delufion of Chriftians, who are but too apt to hope well for themfelves, very often without reafon and without fcripture; who hope, who expect, to die in the Lord, in the favour of God, and to be happy when they are dead, without confidering what fort of works are like to follow them; as if those awakening words of the God of truth did no way concern us: Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Upon the whole, I did conclude, that certainly here is a good occafion offered us, of confidering how this evil may be prevented; how the bitter thoughts of death may be fweetened; how we may be gainers (if it is not plainly our own fault) by that change which we fo induftriously avoid; and lastly, how our departure hence may be matter of comfort,

a1 Theff, iv. 13,

b Matth. vii. 14.

comfort, instead of forrow, to those we leave behind us.

All which I fhall endeavour to fhew from the words juft now read to you; which are introduced after a very remarkable manner: I

HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING,

WRITE, (write this that follows, as moft worthy to be transmitted to all future generations) THAT BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD; that is, in the Chriftian faith, in Chriftian communion, and in Chriftian charity, accompanied with good works and an holy life; fuch are certainly BLESSED; THEY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS; they are freed from all the burthens, temptations, and troubles of this mortal life, from outward calamities, and inward forrowS; AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM, as witneffes and proofs of the good use they have made of the talents, the life, the health, and all other means of glorifying God, and doing good in their generation; which God has vouchfafed them.

I will not take up your time in proving the very different portions of good and bad men in the state after death; the certainty of which, the happiness of the one, and the mifery of the other, being as unquestionable, as that there is a God, and as that this word of his [the Bible] is true.

Both good and bad men acknowledge this. The good hope and pray for a place in the pa

radife of God; and the wicked confefs this, and will be judged out of their own mouths, when they curfe their enemies to the pit of hell, as fuppofing it to be a place of misery and torment.

It will be of more use to confider who may, and who must not, hope to be happy when they die; who are fure to be miferable after this life, and who they are who are as fure to efcape the bitter pains of eternal death. Some certainty in this is furely the most defirable thing in this world. It is not I who must pretend to give you this certainty and fatisfaction; but GoD and his word, you may depend on.

IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, faith the God of truth, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. And again, THEY THAT HAVE

DONE GOOD, SHALL GO INTO LIFE EVERLASTING; AND THEY THAT HAVE DONE EVIL, and have not repented, SHALL GO INTO

EVERLASTING FIRE.

You will be apt to fay, Who does not know this? Be it fo. But then the generality of Christians do not confider, that to say they know this, and yet live as if there were not one fyllable of truth in it, must be most provoking to God, and of most dreadful confequence to those that are guilty of such perverfenefs.

But how fhall we know that our faith, and repentance, and works, will be acceptable to

God?