"On Wednesday, September 2d, his remains were conveyed to a vault in St. Giles's Church-yard, which is situate in the immediate neighbourhood of the town: a retired spot, which he had long since chosen as the place of his interment. A Sermon on the occasion of his lamented death was preached on the evening of the following Sunday, by the REV. MARSHALL CLAXTON, in St. John's Chapel, Shrewsbury, from these words: What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And he said unto me, And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the LAMB.' (Rev. vii. 13, 14.)"

The late MR. BROCAS, in person, was somewhat above the common size; being upwards of six feet in height. He was manly and dignified in his appearance; and, in the latter years of his life, rather inclined to corpulency. Naturally warm in his temperament, he never acted the part of a drone in society: what he did was done with his might, and no opposition could move him from the performance of that which he conceived to be his duty. As a tradesman, he was remarkable for industry, integrity, and uprightness; despising every thing that bordered upon trick or duplicity. All his dealings were characterized by a con scientious regard for the dictates of justice and truth; and often, rather than be guilty of a dishonourable act, he has suffered himself to be defrauded. About three weeks before his death, a purchase having been made of some goods, when they were lodged in his warehouse be found them to be better than he expected, and was immediately observed to follow the person of whom they had been purchased, and voluntarily to give him an advanced price. Such was his practice; doing to others as he would that they should do unto him on a change of circumstances.

The feelings of his mind were tender and acute, and shone conspicuously in the whole of his conduct as a son, a husband, a parent, a master, a neighbour, and in all the relations of social life. His knowledge of the world and of human nature was very considerable. Many were the hearts which his penetrating mind had explored, and particularly his own. In company he was cheerful, intelligent, and sociable; for he was an ardent lover of mankind. His conversion was deep, and was marked by a recognition of the distinguishing truths of Christianity: and through the whole of his religious course there was in his mind s strong and explicit reference to the Sacrifice of CHRIST, as the only ground of acceptance with GOD, and to the HOLY SPIRIT as the only source of holiness and comfort. His strict observance of the Sabbath-day was highly exemplary: and the history of the Christian Church furnishes few examples of men, destitute of a regular academical education, and devoted through life to

secular business, whose knowledge of the Holy Scriptures was so deep and extensive. His love of the Bible was unbounded; and with its all-important doctrines his powerful mind was thoroughly imbued. As a Preacher he was affectionate, energetic, and mighty in the Scriptures; delighting particularly to expatiate upon those truths which are immediately connected with the salvation of souls. His labours in the word and doctrine were often signally owned by GOD; and many will be his joy and the crown of his rejoicing in the day of the LORD.

DIVINITY.

FUNERAL CONSOLATIONS:

A DISCOURSE on JOHN xiv. 28.

(Concluded from page 739.)

3. THIS consideration, that they are gone to the Father, affords us another ground of joy, in that they are gone to the same place, to which we ourselves (if such as they) are hastening. This is what CHRIST intimated more than once to his Disciples, (John xiv. 3,) that they shortly should go to the same place, and same Father, to possess the mansions prepared for them in his great house: and here it was, that their love might find matter of great joy. It is the separation of our friends from us that grieves us; that we and they must divide into such a distance, as admits no more sweet and delightful conversations. We are ready to say with THOMAS, "Let us also go, that we may die with him;" (John xi. 16;) or with RUTH to NAOMI, "Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried;" (Ruth i. 17;) as being loth to be parted by death itself, and wishing to have their amiable society, whatever it costs us. This our desire is in great measure granted; GoD will indeed remove them from us, but then it is to that country and city, where we ourselves design to settle for ever. They are gone, but it is to the same harbour to which we are bound, and towards which we are upon our voyage; nay, where we ourselves have already cast anchor by a steadfast hope, though we are not yet landed, as they are. Do we not profess ourselves to be pilgrims on this earth, and that heaven is our only home? Is it not your real hope, that you shall one day take up your rest in that city of GOD? If so, whither then could we wish our friends to be gone but where they are? Would we not have them to be there, where we may hope to find them again? We are leaving this world ourselves, and if they leave it not too, how should we hope to dwell together again? Were they always to have continued here, we could not

have stayed to enjoy them long; but where they are, we hope to find them again, and to enjoy them for ever. That is the place, to which God, the great arbiter of our lot, has adjourned our next meeting, where there are mansions (not tabernacles) enough, one for MOSES, one for ELIAS, and another for us,-I mean for our holy friends and ourselves too,-which our common MASTER has prepared.

We have this then to comfort us, that we know whither they are gone, and the way we know to follow them; so that there is nothing else to trouble us, but only that we removed not together: and yet if we and they were in a foreign country on earth, how easily could we send them home some weeks before us, and be glad to hear of their safe arrival? It is much the same case, when they go to God before us, while we are following them; so that we are hoping heaven shall bring us together again: there we shall soon meet our dear and pious relations, like the meeting of JOSEPH and his brethren in PHARAOH'S Court, with joy and love enough; we shall surely find them somewhere among the multitudes coming either from the East or West, (Luke xiii. 29,) to sit down with ABRAHAM, ISAAC, and JACOB, in the kingdom of GOD, whither ourselves hope to be admitted: and this ought to revive our hearts, as something like it did very much affect the heathen orator,* when he cried out as one in an ecstasy, O præclarum diem! &c. "O glorious day indeed, when I shall come to that assembly of divine spirits!" If a Pagan could with so lofty a rapture think and speak of that blessed day, when he expected to meet with the souls of famous heroes and wise philosophers, (when yet his expectation was only supported by probable conjecture,) how much more should it elevate the heart of an assured Christian into the warmest transport of gladness, to think of that day, when he shall meet with the patriarchs and prophets, and all the members of the church of the first-born, and his own endeared friends among them?

And the rather, because that last mentioned text seems to sup pose a particular knowledge, who those blessed persons are with whom we shall then converse, and in what relations they stood in this present world; for if ABRAHAM, ISAAC, and JACOB, shall be then so distinctly known, why not others also? And if they are known to others, surely it is known to themselves, that they were grandfather, father, and son, who once dwelt together, as heirs of the promise, in the same tabernacles on earth; no knowledge nor love shall be lost, but what is imperfect and useless.

We shall not, perhaps, carry with us any sensitive ideas of face or features into another world, but shall probably put off these with the body, because they seem useless, since there will be no counterpart of these to answer them, by which to know our friends again in that world; no, not at the resurrection itself; for

* CICERO.

their bodies will be then wonderfully transformed, not to be known by what they were formerly on earth, in their vile condition. I only say this is probable, because I will not pretend to certainty in so dark a case, or to see into the shadow of death; for I know not what subtile vehicle, or fine clothing, the soul may carry away from the body, according to many philosophers both Pagan and Christian; nor whether those vehicles have organs of sight, or be objects thereof, nor what figures they will have, nor what ideas or memory we shall retain of past objects to compare them by but yet I see not what warrant that ancient Christian writer IRENEUS had to assert, that "separate souls carry the likeness and figure of their bodies, so that they may be still known thereby in another world." However, we may justly hope for a knowledge of them in some other way, as by revelation, information, or mutual discourse. "I must profess from the experience "of my soul," says the excellent MR. BAXTER, "that it is my ، belief that I shall love my friends in heaven, which principally "kindles my love to them on earth; and if I thought I should "never know them more, and consequently not love them after "death, I should now love them comparatively little, as I do "other transitory things; but now I converse with them with "delight, as believing I shall converse with them for ever." No doubt but they who dwelt together here, as heirs of the same grace of life, joining their prayers, shall dwell together there, as joint inheritors of that life, joining their praises. Some not unfitly compare the Saints of all ages to a fleet of mariners, all bound for the same port, though some arrive sooner, and some later; and they, who have been first there, welcome those that come afterward with joy and great affection: and what though our friends have outsailed us? it is likely we may come in with the next fleet, and meet at home; and then our love will be satisfied again. Perhaps, ere it be long, we may mingle our own ashes with their beloved dust; however that be, our souls hope to join in the same choir and work with theirs for ever, and therefore should rejoice now in this hope.

True indeed, we shall no more know them after the flesh, in the relation in which they once stood in this world: there shall be no more marriage, nor giving in marriage, (Luke xx. 35,) except it be the marriage of the LAMB, which they are waiting for, and for which the LAMB's wife is making herself ready, (Rev. xix. 7,) when not we, my brethren, not we, but JESUS CHRIST himself, shall be their glorious everlasting bridegroom! And as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will he rejoice over them! (Isa. Ïxii. 5.) Therefore it should greatly pacify us, as it did DAVID, to say, We shall go to them, which is much better than their return to us: "They have departed from us for a season, that we might receive them again for ever."

VOL. XLIV. NOVEMBER, 1821.

*4Z*

I may add, that this is the most effectual consideration in the world, from whence an affectionate mourner can receive full satisfaction; because it rather supports than suppresses his love to his deceased friend: true love, above all things, has a strong principle of self-preservation; it resists all things that would extinguish it, and abhors forgetfulness; no waters can quench it, it is stronger than death, and will survive its object. Now this consideration of seeing them again relieves and revives our love; it tells us that we may cherish and keep it still, and that it shall have a fresh gratification in the presence of its restored object; we may still love upon a just ground, and may anticipate the pleasures of that eternal society with our dear friends which is expected above. So that upon this account, in the midst of our anguish, we may imagine the Angel's address to the Disciples to be (with some alteration) made to us, "Why gaze ye so, and stand looking after them who are ascended? These same persons, who are taken up from you into heaven, shall ye see coming again." O that we could, like ABRAHAM, by faith so see that day, though afar off, as to rejoice! This is the way to perpetuate our memory of them, when they return with delight on our minds, and not as a frightful torment. If there be nothing but sadness and terror, it will soon weary us, and make us study some arts of oblivion, whereas we shall very freely repeat a grateful and welcome remembrance.

The useful Inferences from this doctrine are as follow.

1. This shows us the excellency of Christianity, or how great a blessing the Gospel is, which furnishes us with such an antidote against these temptations to deep sorrow. Indeed it is a comfortable doctrine, which brings life and immortality to light, which tells us that they are but sleeping in JESUS, who have died in him, and helps us to put so mild an interpretation on so grievous a calamity. What a soft notion of dying is this, viz. Going to the FATHER, our gracious, compassionate, heavenly FATHER! Whatever dubious glances this way we find among some of the sagacious heathen writers, who confess that they rather desired than were able to prove it, (as SENECA owns,) it is certain they had so little of an assured persuasion of eternal bliss afte r death prevailing among them, that the Apostle (in this respect opposing them to Christians) hesitates not to describe them thus, viz. those who have no hope; (1 Thess. iv. 13;) but where they had no clear hope, Christians have perfect assurance.

And whereas we are apt to be concerned for the outward tabernacle, those amiable bodies that were the desire of our eyes, and the instruments of conversation, whose very pleasing idea makes many a welcome return to our grieved minds, and which we love to cherish and preserve in a lively remembrance,