"HIM that honoureth me will I honour," fays the LORD. Hiftory, experience, observation, bear witnefs to the faithfulness of GOD, in every age. Through life, favour has diftinguished the righteous: the light of his countenance has been lifted up upon them. Sometimes alfo in a confpicuous manner the LORD favours and diftinguishes his fervants, at their departure out of this world. By length of days, by a found constitution, by vigorous faculties, by increafing usefulness, by heightened enjoyment, by the fruit of their labours, by more abundant respect and honour, by ferenity of mind, by confidence in God, by the unclouded profpect of glory, honour and immortality, have the righteous, in the end of life, been honoured of the LORD. And, ought not we to preserve their memory with honour?

It is always true that the death of the faint is dear to the LORD: on all the excellent of the earth, however, the fame tokens of the favour of Heaven are not conferred, in the evening of life. The fun leaving the horizon in an unclouded fky, with all nature ferene and beautiful, is a glorious object!

but

but it is the fame luminary that fets under a cloud which shall foon be difperfed: he difappears, to rife again in equal fplendor. GOD fhall bring forth the righteous as the light.

Do you believe and meditate on the glory that shall be revealed; the defcending Judge, the affembled world; the honours, public, unfading, eternal, of the righteous? Their depreffion and obfcurity is as nothing; rather, it will add to their celebrity and glory. Shall the honours of the day of the LORD be theirs? Can you but exclaim, May they be ours alfo! Can we but be conftrained to honour those whom the LORD honours, and fhall honour, to ages of ages?

THUS have I turned your attention to the claims of the righteous to a refpectful and affectionate remembrance: have difcourfed of the perpetuity of their fame; have exhorted you to preferve their memory with honour; and fuggefted advices and directions for this purpose. It was obferved in the entrance, that to this fubject your attention and mine is naturally turned at this time, and

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and on this day, this firft LORD's day of our affembly together, after the funeral honours of him whom we of this congregation have long known, and loved and honoured.

My dear friends and fellow mourners!

IN profpect of addreffing you on this affecting occafion, I forefaw, what I now feel, that it would be difficult for me to fpeak directly of the character of the late venerable EARL of LEVEN and MELVILLE: In difcourfing on the righteous more generally, the resemblance was too ftrong to be regarded without emotion. How then fhould I be able to pourtray his character particularly?

BEAR with me in endeavouring to suggest, as we brought in view the claims of the righteous to estimation and lasting fame, you could not hesitate to fay, The EARL of LEVEN and MELVILLE is the man.

He is endeared to many: he will oft and long be remembered by this congregation: his memory is blessed. Let us preserve his name with honour. Refpect and love, and imitate

imitate his excellence, as a husband, a parent, a master, a friend of his country, of religion, of the poor. Like him, bless the sphere of your more immediate influence. It is true we cannot promife all the righteous equal honours in life and in death: but we can promife, and you can rejoice in, eternal life, glory, honour, and immortality, who look for it " by a patient continuance in welldoing." To all to whom to live is CHRIST, to die is gain. Bleffed are all the dead who die in the LORD, they reft from their labours, and their works follow them: an abundant entrance fhall be miniftered to them into the everlasting kingdom of the Son of GoD their Saviour.

"Now unto him who is able to keep you "from falling, and to prefent you faultlefs "before the presence of his glory with ex

ceeding joy, to the only wife GOD our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion " and power, both now and ever, Amen."

SER

SERMON II.

THE PRAISE OF FEMALE PIETY.

Preached June 2. 1798, after the Interment of the Right Hon WILHELMINA COUNTESS of LEVEN and MELVILLE.]

PROV. XXXI. 30.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, he shall be praised.

IN this collection of striking and fage maxims and obfervations, contraft and comparifon are often employed, and with excellent effect; for oppofites illuftrate one another : we have a jufter and more diftinct view of objects that are diffimilar, when they are prefented together to the mind. The wife man often leaves us to muse on what he propofes, confident that the reasonings and conclufions of the reader and hearer are the very fame he intended; they have thus more effect than if they were particularly drawn out and illustrated by the author himself.

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