sent forth such a minister, appointed him his charge and furnished him for his work, continued and assisted him in it, and in his own time removed him; and it is he that, in such a case, by his office, has the care of filling up the vacancy, and furnishing, establishing and assisting successors, and supplying all the wants of bereaved churches. It is surely therefore suitable and natural to go to him in such a case, and spread such a calamity before him.

APPLICATION.

I come now to apply what has been said to the sORROWFUL OCCASION of our being thus assembled at this time, even the death of that aged SERVANT of God, who has long been eminent in the work of the gospel ministry in this place.

There are many that may well look on themselves as nearly concerned in this awful Providence, and sharers in the bereavement; all of whom should be directed by this doctrine, to go and spread their affliction before JESUS, that compassionate, allsufficient head of the church, and Savior of the body, that merciful and faithful High Priest, that knows how to pity the afflicted.

And particularly it now becomes and concerns you, that belong to this church and congregation, that are bereaved of your aged and eminent PASTOR and FATHER, that has so long been a great blessing to you, now to go and tell JESUS.

The disciples of John, spoken of in the text, were those that were ordinarily under his instruction, and were his constant hearers, as it has been with you with respect to your aged Therefore be exhorted PASTOR, that is now taken from you. to do as they did. Do not think that you have finished your duty, when you have taken up his body and buried it, and have shewn respect to his memory and remains, at his funeral: This is the least part of your duty: That which mainly concerns you under this awful Providence, is between Christ and your own souls.

God has now taken away from you an able and faithful min» ister of the New Testament, one that has long been a FATHER to you, and a FATHER in our Israel, a person of uncommon natural abilities, and distinguished learning, a great divine, of very comprehensive knowledge, and of a solid, accurate judg+ ment.....Judiciousness and wisdom were eminently his character. He was one of eminent gifts, qualifying him for all parts of the work of the ministry; and there appeared a savor of holiness, in his exercise of those gifts in public and private: So that he improved them as a servant of Christ, and a man of God. He was not negligent of the talents which his lord had committed to him; you need not be told with what constant diligence he improved them, how studious at home, and how laborious in his public work: He ever devoted himself to the work to which he was called: The ministry which he had received of the Lord, he took heed to fulfil, and pursued it with a constant and stedfast, even mind, through all its difficulties.

You know his manner of addressing heaven in his public prayers with you and for you, with what sanctity, humility, faith and fervency, he seemed to apply himself to the FATHER of lights, from time to time, when he stood in this desk as your mouth to God, and interceding for you, pleading with God through the grace and merits of a glorious MEDIATOR. And you know his manner of applying himself to you, when he came to you, from time to time, in the name of the Lord.

In his PUBLIC ministry, he mainly insisted on the most weighty and important things of religion; he was eminently an evangelical preacher; evangelical subjects seemed to be his delight: CHRIST was the great subject of his preaching; and he much insisted on those things that did nearly concern the essence and power of religion; and had a peculiar faculty of judiciously and clearly handling the doctrines he insisted on, and treating properly whatever subject he took in hand; and of selecting the most weighty arguments and motives to enforce and set home those things that concern Christian experience and practice. His subjects were always weighty,

and his manner of treating them peculiarly happy, shewing the strength and accuracy of his judgment, and ever breathing forth the SPIRIT OF PIETY, and a deep sense of the things he delivered, on his heart. His sermons were none of them mean, but were all solid, wise compositions. His words were none of them vain, but all were weighty.

And you need not be told with what weight the welfare of your souls seemed to lie on his heart, and how he instructed, and reproved, and warned, and exhorted you, with all authority, and with a fatherly tender concern for your eternal good. And with what wisdom he presided in the house of God, and guided its affairs; and also counselled and directed you in private, under your particular soul exercises and difficulties. You know how he has brought you up (for most of you have been trained up from your childhood under his ministry) with what authority, and with what judgment, prudence and steadiness, he has conducted you, as well as meekness and gentleYou know his manner of going in and out among you, how exemplary his walk and conversation has been, with what gravity, judgment and savor of holiness, he has walked before you, as a man of God,

ness.

You have enjoyed great advantages for your souls' good, under his ministry: That you had such a minister was your privilege and your honor; he has been an ornament to the town of HATFIELD; and his presence and conversation amongst you has been both profitable and pleasant; for though it was such as did peculiarly command AWE and RESPECT, yet it was at the same time, HUMBLE and CONDESCENDING: It tended both to instruct and entertain those that he conversed with: As a wise man, and endued with knowledge, he shewed out of good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

But now it hath pleased an holy God to take him away from you: You will see his face and hear his voice no more, in the land of the living: You will no more have the comfort and benefits of his presence with you, and the exercise of his ministry among you.

Therefore now go to Jesus, the Supreme Head of the church, and Bishop of souls. Your pastor is dead, and will not live again till the last day: But Christ, the chief Shepherd, though he was dead, is now alive! And behold he lives for evermore. He ever lives to provide for his church, and to guide and feed his flock. Go to that Jesus whom your deceased pastor preached, and to whom he earnestly invited you while he lived, and give thanks for the many blessings you enjoyed in him. Remember how you have received and heard, and hold fast that no man take your crown; and go and humble yourselves also before him, that you made no better improvement of the ministry of your pastor while he lived; and beg of him a sanctified improvement of his awful hand in taking him away, and that he would help you to remember his warnings and counsels that you too much slighted whilst you had them, lest those warnings and counsels cry against you, and rise up in judgment against you another day, lest you see your pastor, that so affectionately and earnestly, and so often, and for so long a time continued to exhort you, and earnestly prayed for you, while he lived, rising up in judgment, and bearing testimony against you, declaring how constantly and laboriously he intreated and called upon you, and how obstinately some of you slighted his counsels; and lest you see him sitting with Christ to judge and condemn you, and adoring his awful justice on your aggravated punishment.

All you that have an interest in JESUS, now go to him on this occasion, and tell him of your bereavement, and beg of him that he would not depart from you; but that he would make up his loss in his own immediate presence. Go to him for your surviving pastor, that he would be with him, and furnish him more and more for, and assist him in, that great work, that is now wholly devolved upon him, and make him also a burning and shining light amongst you; and that you

Particularly, remember his late affectionate farewell at the table of the Lord, not expecting such another opportunity with you, Exhorting you to follow peace and holiness, and to edify one another.

may have of the presence and blessing of Jesus with you, and him.

And now, since I am called to speak in the name of Christ on this solemn occasion, I would apply myself to the near relations of the deceased, who are especially to be looked upon, as the bereaved.

God in his holy Providence has taken from you one that has been a great blessing, comfort and honor to you, and deservedly very dear to you, and honored of you. The doctrine we are upon directs you what to do in your present circumstances, viz. To go to JESUS, to go and spread your affliction before an allsufficient Redeemer.

And particularly I would apply myself to the honored relict, who stood in the nearest relation of any to the deceased, whom God by this awful Providence has made a sorrowful widow. Suffer me, honored madam, in your great affliction, to exhibit to you a compassionate Redeemer. God has now taken from you that servant of his, that was the nearest and best friend you had in this world, that was your wise and prudent guide, your affectionate and pleasant companion, who was so great a blessing while he lived, to you and your family, and under Christ, was so much the comfort and support of your life. You see, madam, where your resort must be Your earthly friends can condole your loss, but cannot make it up to you; we must all confess ourselves to be but miserable comforters: But you may go and tell Jesus, and there you may have both support and reparation: His love and his presence is far beyond that of the nearest and most affectionate earthly friend. Now you are bereaved of your earthly consort, you may go to a spiritual husband, and seek his com passion and his company: He is the fountain of all that wis dom and prudence, that piety, that tender affection and faithful care, that you enjoyed in your departed consort; in him is an infinite fountain of all these things, and of all good; in him you may have light in your darkness, comfort in your sor row, and fullness of joy and glory in another world, in an everlasting union with your dear, deceased relative, in the glori