SERMON

XCVII.

AT THE FUNERAL OF MRS. SUSANNAH MURRAY.

THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF COMFORT ON THE DEATH OF FRIENDS.

I THESS. iv. 13, 14,

I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU TO BE IGNORANT, BRETHREN, CONCERNING THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP, THAT YE SORROW NOT EVEN AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE. FOR IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED, AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO THEM ALSO WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS [THAT 15, IN THE FAITH OF JESUS] WILLGOD BRING WITH HIM."

THIS

HIS is the mighty difference which death makes betwixt true Christian believers, and infidels, or libertines.

When they first come to die, the are able to fay with St. Paul, I know whom I have believed; they refign their fouls into the hands of God, who is able to keep them; trusting in his mercy and goodness, and promifes, in Jefus Chrift, both at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment.

And their friends, which they leave behind. them, HAVING HOPE IN THEIR DEATH, con

See Prov. x. 7. xi. 7. xiv. 32. Jer. xviii. 12. Ephef. ii. 12. Heb. vi. 18, 19. 2 Tim. i. 12. 1 Pet. i. 21. 1 John iii. 3.

fider

fider them as freed from the miseries of this life, and as gone to a much better:-With which confiderations they endeavour to affuage their grief, and to bear with patience and refignation the chastisement which God, in his wife and good providence, has thought fit to lay upon them, to be fure for their good, if it is not their own fault.

On the other hand, THEY WHICH HAVE NO HOPE; that is, no knowledge of what must come hereafter, no faith in God's word; or have not regarded it; thefe, when death approaches, are either stupid, or hardened, or given over to a reprobate mind, a mind void of judgment; or, if their confciences are not feared, they are under the greatest perplexities, fears, and astonishment, at what may very foon be their portion; and no mortal man can tell what to say to comfort them.

And fuch friends as they leave behind them are either overwhelmed with forrow for what may too likely be their lot; or they part with them with despair of ever seeing them again; or they blame themselves for having not done all that was in their power to keep them from the pit of destruction.

So very great a difference does death make, both with regard to the living and the dead, betwixt Chriftians and Infidels, betwixt good and bad livers.

Now; the great defign of the fubject I have chofen, being to comfort all Chriftians upon

the

the death of fuch perfons as have been very dear to them; I would from hence take occa→ fion to exhort you all, good Christians, to take care to lay a fure foundation of comfort for yourselves, and for those you shall leave behind you.

This is to be done by a TRUE REPÉNTANCE, and by an HOLY LIFE; these being the fruit and effects of a true and faving faith.

Whoever promifes you pardon and peace upon any other terms, does but deceive himfelf and you, to his own and your eternal ruin.

And yet nothing is more common than to hear people fpeak their comfortable hopes of their departed friends, though they have lived in fin, and have left no fign of virtue and piety behind them, only because they were become ferious at the fight of death, which the most abandoned finners can hardly choose but be.

St. Paul's commiffion from Jefus Chrift himself was this:-That he fhould preach (and accordingly he did) every where, that men should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Here you fee, (Chriftians) here are works to be done after men have repented. And then if we add our Saviour's words,* the night cometh when no man can work; we fhall eafily fee what a madness it must be, to trust the great concern of our falvation to a death-bed repentance.

moments.

We must not indeed limit the mercies of God, nor difcourage people from confeffing and detefting their fins, and unfruitfulness under the means of grace, even at their last But then this is only what can be faid to them after all,-They having not done works meet for repentance, their cafe must be left to the uncovenanted mercy of God, who, under the law of Mofes, referved to himfelf certain cafes, for which no facrifices were to be offered by his priest.

The will of God is, That all who are called Christians fhould honour him in their lives, and should improve the graces he beftows upon them; fhould crucify the flesh be with its affections and lufts, that they may meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the faints in light.

And if people will deceive themselves either with the bare name of Chriftians, or will depend upon a faith, which does not purify the heart, or trust the care of their fouls to those they leave behind them, they will run the greatest hazard of being shut out of paradife when they die.

To prevent this as much as poffible, and that we may all have comfort in the death of our friends, I would apply myself,

First; To fuch of my own order as hear me, and to whom Jefus Chrift has committed the care of the fouls which he has purchased with his most precious blood; and

Secondly;