myself once more to them. Who can tell? The Lord may give you repentance. It may be said from this time, "Behold, he prayeth." What, are you so lost to a sense of the divine authority and majesty of Jehovah, as that you can dare to oppose his high commands? What, are you so unmindful of the precept and example of a gracious Saviour, as knowingly to slight both, and that from one year to another year? What, are you so indifferent to the blessings of grace and glory, that you do not think them worthy your seeking for? What, are your soul and salvation of such little value, as to excite no serious concern? Have you heard so many preachers and sermons in this place, different and affectionate preachers, for year after year, and all in vain? How will your prayerless state be viewed on a deathbed, and in another world? Will it not be perfectly righteous in the Judge, to condemn you for such gross negligence, such unbelief, such contempt, and hardness of heart? May you now seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; this is still an accepted time, and now is the day of salvation.

Let us, whose hearts now unite in prayer, look forward to the world of praise; and while we indulge a hope so divine, be grateful to him from whom we have derived it. Amen.

SERMON VII.

A FUNERAL SERMON FOR MRS. M. TALFOURD, AGED 72, PREACHED JAN. 23, 1803.

O death, where is thy sting ?-1 Cor. xv. 55.

BRETHREN, you have been often reminded that death is no respecter of ages; persons of all ages die. This fact the providence of God fully demonstrates. We cannot fail to observe it in those recent breaches which have been made in this congregation. The last Lord's-day evening, we were called to improve the death of a young man, one just arrived to manhood, not having attained to the age of twenty-three; now, we are desirous of improving the departure of an "old disciple," who had lived beyond her threescore years and ten.

Every considerate person will think frequently on the subject of death. History records of a monarch, that he appointed his herald to come morning after morning to proclaim in his hearing, "Remember thou art mortal!" and Joseph of Arimathea had a sepulchre hewn out in his garden. In the midst of our worldly possessions we should remem

ber our mortality; while surrounded with temporal enjoyments we should "consider our latter end;" that by such reflections, under God, we may be preserved from the snares and dangers of this state; may possess security for the future world; and from the knowledge of that, may be enabled, even in the prospect of our dissolution, to adopt the triumphant language of our apostle, "O death, where is thy sting?"

I. To inquire, wherein consists the sting of death?

II. To show how he was disarmed of his terror. III. To point out the persons interested in this deliverance. And,

IV. To consider what is necessary to qualify us for using this language, will contain the outlines of this discourse, and tend to the improvement both of the providence and the subject.

I. We are to inquire, wherein consists the sting of death?

Death is indebted to sin both for its existence and sting. Man in his original state was perfectly holy. His nature and relation to God necessarily subjected him to the government of his Creator and Benefactor: he had, therefore, a law given him suited to his nature. This law was constituted a covenant to him and his seed, and it was attended with awful sanctions ;-life, in case of perfect obedience; death, in consequence of a failure. While man remained innocent, he had access to the tree of life. Some have supposed, such was the quality

of its fruit that it could have preserved the human body from mortality, and in favour of this sentiment they have adduced Gen. iii. 22, "and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." But without assigning to the passage such extent of meaning, we may view that tree as a sacred type of perpetual life, and as the sacramental pledge of security to an innocent creature. When, therefore, he forfeited his right to life, then he lost his right of access to the symbolic tree, and was driven from the garden as one who had offended by rebellion against God. Thus, we must look upon Adam's transgression as the violation of a divine law and covenant; this made a breach in our world, at which, the evils of suffering and death entered. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that (or rather, in whom,) all have sinned," Rom. v. 12. So in the chapter before us, verses 21, 22; "By man came death," "in Adam all die."

More particularly, let us regard what is meant by the sting of death. What is it which furnishes it with so much terror, or renders it so capable of injuring man? We are informed in a few words,