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 A S;lj|.ar0:^^ 
 
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 Bl* Xipi AIATB or 
 
 XI^«,RI> JACKS QKT. Esq.. 
 
 Of BfrnfUm, 
 
 paBAcaaoro by thk 
 
 ItSV. WILLIAM, H, POOLE, 
 
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A SERMON 
 
 O00A81OH1D BT THH DIATH OF 
 
 EDWARD JACKSON, Esq.. 
 
 0/ HamiUoH, ^- 
 
 PREACHED BY TBB 
 
 REV. WILLIAM H. POOLE, 
 
 AMD PUBLISHEiy BY REQUEST. 
 
 ♦ » 
 
 to israe?-!! s'L^ T as*'*"" *" * ^'^^ "«^ "^ ««** »- '«''- t^^*^ <i«y 
 
 "♦♦" 
 
 TO lONTO: 
 
 WESLEYAN CONFERENCE PRXNTING BSTABLI8HMENT 
 80 KINO STREET EAST, ' 
 
 # 
 
 1872. 
 
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 JUL 9 1931 
 
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 2 Kings ii. 12. 
 
 "And E'.isha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the 
 chariot of l8rat\ and the horsemen thereof" 
 
 It is a striking peculiarity of the Holy Scriptures, that 
 they present religious truth in a great variety of form. Here 
 are historical truths, abstract truths, prophetical and 
 biographical truths, -truth in symbol, in doctrine, in 
 promise, and in precept, all uniting to present Jesus Christ 
 and him crucified to every class of mind; and to every 
 condition of human thought. 
 
 They present an embodiment of great principles brou<?ht 
 out in Uving characters through all the dispensations of the 
 past, as seen in the lives of those good men who have 
 shone as stars of the first magnitude. They not only teach 
 us our obligations to God and to societv; but shew u» 
 how others lived in Patriarchal and Prophetic times ; and 
 how they "warred a good warfare" under circumstances 
 the most trying and the most diversified. They not only 
 teach us the nature, extent, and methods of salvation bv 
 Jesus Christ; but shew us that salvation actually r^- 
 alized, enjoyed, and illustrated in the conduct and in the 
 life of individual menu 
 
, * SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 We are not therefore surprised to find St. Paul exhort- 
 ing the young Christians to whom he wrote, to follow thost 
 " who through faith and patience " now « inherit the pro- 
 mises" of God in the heavenly paradise; and St. James 
 urging "the twelve tribes scattered abroad," to take the 
 Prophets of the Old Testament as an example of patience, 
 both in suffering and labor. 
 
 If Christians in general are directed to take the Prophets 
 as an example, it is perfectly legitimate for us to trace the 
 strong points in Elijah's character and conduct as he drew 
 near his latter end, and a brief exposition of his closing 
 hours may prepare our wa- for a sketch of the life and 
 labors of an honored and beloved standard-bearer of the 
 Lord, lately taken from among us. 
 
 We do this, in order that we ourselves may be stimu- 
 lated by the precious memories of the paat, and that you 
 may be drawn in closer bonds, and by more enduring ties 
 to the central source of all life and blessing. 
 
 In mechanics, as in nature, we find a great force called 
 the centripetal,— a force or power by which things are drawn 
 to the centre: were it not for this law the vast bodies in 
 motion would fly off from their centres in broken frag- 
 ments. The planets would haste from their orbits, and 
 confusion, disorder, and ruin every where prevail. 
 
 In morals, we have just such a principle or force, it is 
 called Love. It is the first sweet, ripe fruit of the Holy 
 Spirit that draws the soul to God and all goodness. The 
 great attractive force that controls by its power, thrones, 
 dominions, principalities, powers, intellects, and hearts. A 
 cord of heavenly origin, linking souls together, fine as 
 gossamer, but mightier far -than adamant. The first sin 
 disturbed the relationship existing between man and God. 
 
mmmmmm 
 
 OP EDWARD JACKSON. 5 
 
 It sent him adrift. He broke loose from God and all good- 
 ness, and became an outcast, a wanderer, an alien. At first 
 he enjoyed daily visits from God ; those visits became lesa 
 frequent. A violation of this law of love brought dis-. 
 obedience, woe, and sorrow in all the walks and ways of 
 man. He lost his orbit, broke the threefold cord that drew 
 him to the centre of happiness, and thus he began his 
 terrible departure. Heaven appeared every day to be 
 farther and farther from earth, and yet visits from God and 
 Holy Angels were kept up for a while. It seems as if 
 they could not break away from the new made world, over 
 whose birth the « morning stars sang together, and the 
 sons of God shouted for joy." Bu< s the tide of wrong 
 arose, and the voice of cruelty and of ci.me, of ambition and 
 avarice, rang out in the solitudes, those visits became still 
 less frequent, and it was only to the saintly seer that God 
 spoke in symbol, or in dream, or in vision ; and showed 
 himself in burning bush, or smitten rock, or cloudy pillar, 
 or fiery mount. By means of holy men of old, communi- 
 cation was kept up until in the fulness of time, Immanuel 
 came, and the spirit was given to "draw all men unto him," 
 and restore to man his lost allegiance. 
 
 Moses and Elijah lived for God and to him, and they 
 were greatly honored by him ; the decree of God then, as 
 now, was, « them that honor me, I will honor ; and they 
 that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." Between those, 
 two illustrious ones there was a strong historic resemblance ; 
 one was a renowned lawgiver, the other a feariess restorer' 
 of the law. Their eariy years were marked by special 
 manifestations of God's providence at once grand and 
 mysterious. Both Moses and Elijah visit<.d that ever 
 memorable Mount Sinai, shook by incessant thunders, and 
 
6 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 l^j f 
 
 rent by the lightnings of God. Both saw the divine glory 
 manifested in a most wonderful manner, and both had 
 near and clear views of God, and enjoyed direct and per- 
 sonal communion with him. Both were so feasted with 
 the divine; that, for forty days they fasted from temporal 
 food. Both saw the fiery symbols, heard the thunders 
 roll, and realized sensibly the mild glories of his grace. 
 Both were called to sufier scorn and reproach for their 
 religion, and were both sent as special ambassadors to 
 kings, already doomed to shame and sorrow because of 
 their sins. Both were honored instruments in saving the 
 life of thousands, and to them it was given to suspend and 
 control at will ( by divine permission ) the laws of nature. 
 Both were removed from the church on earth under very 
 peculiar circumstances ; the sorrowing church and the nation 
 feeling very deeply the loss they had sustained. Both 
 were forewarned in a most remarkable manner of their 
 removal from earth, and were both saved from sickness, 
 pain, and decay. Both were taken from nearly the same 
 place, Elijah sweeping in the chariot up the hill tops from 
 which Moses went to heaven. God claimed the body of 
 Moses that he might bury it himself, and he took Elijah's 
 body home a shorter way than through death and the grave. 
 In both cases, able and worthy successors were raised up to 
 finish the work from which they had been so suddenly 
 removed. Both were singularly honored in being per- 
 mitted to visit Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, 
 
 the one as the representative of the law, the other as the re- 
 presentative of the Prophets ; and both are now on the 
 hills of immortality, beholding the glory of God, and 
 waiting as the elder brethren for the whole company of the 
 redeemed to join them in the new song of " blessing, and 
 
 9mmmm^m&i,smf«^ 
 
 •M«*«sKit(iH»»(***i.'"t«fc wsi ^ 
 
OF i -iARD JACKSON. 7 
 
 honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth 
 upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." 
 
 It is to me always interesting and instructive to hold 
 converse with a good man on the eve of his departure from 
 tune ; truly, « the chamber where a good man meets his fate 
 IS privHeged beyond the common walks of life, quite on the 
 verge of heaven." In that honest hour hypocrisy throws off 
 Its mask, the ungodly change their vanity for vexation of 
 spirit, while the good man feels and sings 
 
 " 'Tis a blessing to live, but a greater to die ; 
 And the best of the world is its path to the sky." 
 
 The Prophet Elijah had his day of storm and tempest. 
 Who 18 there among the great reformers of the church, upon 
 whose path the storm cloud did not burst? But the stormy 
 day is past, and is followed by the beautiful evening tinged 
 with the golden light of another world. The mariner so 
 long out upon the wave, buffeted by Herce winds and tossed 
 on a stormy sea, has at length found the welcome of the wait- 
 ing ones in the long sought harbor of rest. The soldier 
 having fought his last battle, exchanges his helmet for his 
 crown, saying, « Oh happy day ! that fixed my choice." 
 
 In looking at the last years of the Tishbite, we have a 
 new and unexpected picture to contemplate. In his earlier 
 years we see a man of as stern stuff as ever preacher was 
 made of. Just the man for Carmel and Jezreel. His 
 mission was of an aggressive character. He was to pull 
 down the lofty citadel of idolatry in the court, of Ahab. 
 He was a heaven-sent messenger of fire and judgment to 
 Jezebel and Samaria, an uncompromising antagonist of 
 Baal and his worshippers. A vindicator of the divine 
 righteousness, an avenger alike of Israel's defiled sceptre 
 
N 
 
 8 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 and her polluted altars, the defender of the old faith, the 
 champion of the forgotten law. 
 
 In the work assigned him he felt that all he had, of 
 
 energy, and ability, was the Lord's. "As the Lord liveth, 
 
 before whom I stand," was the habitual expression he used 
 
 indicative of the entire and complete consecration of his 
 
 whole life, and all his powers to God. He belonged to no 
 
 tribe of Israel, there was no place that could specially lay 
 
 claim to him. He waited particularly to do the bidding of 
 
 God, and to do it in the Lord's way, and the " breath of 
 
 the Lord carried him away whither they knew not." In 
 
 an instant he appears in a certain place, and then again his 
 
 voice is heard in a distant part witnessing boldly for the 
 
 truth. At one moment he is in the ravine of the Cherith, 
 
 in the Jordan valley ; then in the wild forests of Carmel ; 
 
 now his voice is heard on the sea shore of Sidon, at Zareph- 
 
 ath ; and then in xhe wilderness of Horeb, in the south j 
 
 then again far off on his way near northern Damascus ; now 
 
 on the top of some lonely height, or on the way to Ekron ; 
 
 then snatched away on some mountain, or some valley in 
 
 the desert of Jordan. To-day, fleet as the wind, when 
 
 the hand of the Lord was upon him, running before the 
 
 chariot of Ahab from Carmel to Jezreel, and to-morrow 
 
 sitting under the juniper tree, asking the Lord that he 
 
 might die. 
 
 But oh ! how changed the bold reformer of the mountain 
 and the cave ! No longer engaged on the outward bulwarks 
 of the truth, storming, single-handed and alone, the strong- 
 holds of the enemy. No longer challenging, alone, the 
 thousand prophets and priests of Baal, Ammon, and Pan ; 
 no longer on his knees, alone, on the mountain, bringing 
 rain or drought as evidence that the Lord Jehovah was the 
 
 i»«»»vfw«e*»ii»oi. 
 
MHI 
 
 OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 9 
 
 true God, but he is seen engaged in a work equally as 
 momentous and to the cause of God as profitable. 
 
 To train young men for the work of the Lord has always 
 been esteemed as the most important department of the 
 Church's work, and although state-craft, then, as now, 
 sought to crush out the truth from among men, and called 
 in all the assistance of wealth, place, and social influence 
 to accomplish its object, the prophet sought to provide an 
 agency, which, with the blessing of God, would perpetuate, 
 defend, and promote the sacred learning connected with the 
 true priesthood of God, Nor was he the first founder of 
 such schools. Long before Plato taught the young men in the 
 olive groves, or Zeno in the portico, Samuel, the prophet of 
 the Lord, was president or principal of two schools of the 
 prophets, or, to use a modem term, divinity halls, theolo- 
 gical schools, or missionary colleges, one at Gibeah the other 
 at Rama. There, no doubt, Saul, the wild and wayward 
 king of Israel, David the singing shepherd and musical 
 king, Heman who led the choir in the temple service. Gad 
 the faithful preacher who rose early in the morning to'warn 
 his erring ma8ter,Nathan the faithful and the fearless teacher, 
 afterwards the wise adviser of Solomon, with many others, 
 drank in their inspiration from the gifted and devoted 
 Samuel, under whom they studied the laws of nature and 
 of God. 
 
 To the work of instructing those who were to be the 
 future teachers of the nation in sacred learning he was 
 drawn by several considerations. Influenced, no doubt, by 
 his own apprehensions for the decay of true religion in times 
 of such degeneracy; also, by his own felt necessity in that 
 *onexy position, when he stood in the sternest and loftiest 
 spirit of true faith, face to face with the proudest and 
 
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 10 
 
 SERMON ON THK DEATH 
 
 fiercest spirit of the old Asiatic paganism, and inspired also 
 by the spirit of God as to the best means of counteracting 
 the power and influence of a court, all leprous with error 
 and sin. He spent his closing years in providing for the 
 religious education and spiritual well-being of the genera- 
 tions to come, by establishing schools as repositories of 
 the truth. 
 
 To this work the wonderful manifestations of God in 
 Horeb had direct reference. There, in a cave beneath the 
 mount of Moses, near the spot where God -appeared to 
 Moses, he had an intimation that God was drawing near, 
 and he stood, and listened, and there came a great and strong 
 wind which rent the mountains and brake in pieces the 
 rocks. '* But the Lord was not in the wind." He stood 
 calmly, in profound thought, and the solid granite shook by 
 a mighty earthquake. " But the Lord was not in the earth- 
 quake." He stood firmly, looking around on the surround- 
 ing hills as they stood as dark sentinels of the night, and 
 the hills flamed with fire as Moses' bush. " But God was 
 not in the fire." He stood, waiting for the next grand 
 manifestation of God, listening and looking, when there 
 came a voice on the nigho air, a low, sweet whisper, "a 
 still small voice," a voice that was almost like silence. 
 He knew this was the voice of God, and he drew, as he 
 was wont, his rough mantle over his head, and wrapped his 
 face in its ample folds, and stood to receive the Divine 
 communication. That communication and the vision must 
 go together, the one explains the other, they both alike 
 contain the special message to Elijah, and a universal mes- 
 sage to the universal church ; each is marked and explained 
 by the Divine question and tho human answer. The losson 
 teaches that successful opposition to error must be carried 
 
OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 11 
 
 'a 
 
 on by the employment of means and agencies previously 
 prepared, and duly qualified, and that the Divine blessing 
 will always accompany the right use of the right means. 
 
 There, in the wilderness or desert of Arabia, was no place 
 for a pubHc teacher. He had great lessons to impart, 
 sacred trusts to be communicated, testimonies to be given 
 of God's power and presence, and mercy and love. He 
 must inform others of what God had done for him. He 
 must tell in the sacred college the wondrous power of divine 
 gi-ace. He must appoint others to aid him in this work. 
 He must appoint the king and the prophet, combining the 
 governor and the teacher. He must use Jew and Gentile, 
 he must unite and combine various agencies, and use them' 
 all trusting in God alone. He had seen the fire on Carmel, 
 the stormy wind on the Mediterranean, and the avenging 
 sword from the banks of the Kishon,— these all had passed 
 away and had their work to do, but God was not in them in 
 the highest sense, they were not to be looked upon as the 
 divinely appointed means of future conquest. The " word 
 of the Lord was to break the cedars of Lebanon," the " still 
 small voice " of the teacher, the sacred lessons of the divine 
 word in the power and influence they were to exert, would 
 accomplish what the storm, and fire, and earthquake had 
 failed to do. In the still smaU voice of Jesus, in the almost 
 silent whispers of the Holy Spirit, in the silent yet all con- 
 quering power of mercy and love, in the stillness of the 
 cross, the grave, the mediatorial throne, in the reforming 
 power of science and religion, a sound philosophy and a 
 pure Christianity, the living voice of the living teacher— 
 these were to be the agencies he was to appoint, and these 
 God would bless, isor was Elijah disobedient to the 
 heavenly vision, for we find him as president of a University 
 
12 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 11 
 
 (using modern terms) with at least three Colleges, one at 
 Gilgal, one at Bethel, and one at Jericho ; there may have 
 been others ; but of these three there can be no doubt. The 
 attention he paid to these schools of the prophets, the inter- 
 est he had in them, and the influence he exerted over them, 
 are distinctly marked in this chapter. He might, and he 
 would have been excused on the last day of his sojourn on 
 earth, from any cares, or toils, or duties, knowing as he 
 did, that it was to be his last day in time. But the interest 
 he had in them, and the love he bore to them, prompted him 
 early that morning to set out on a valedictory tour, and he 
 did visit once more the sacred retreats and consecrated halls 
 of Gilgal, and Bethel, and Jericho, and with that tenderness 
 which is sometimes blended with the most rugged natures, 
 he addressed them with melting pathos, and gave to each 
 his parting blessing. That address was so tender and so 
 attractive, that it drew the young men away from their 
 retreats by fifties all the way to Jordan, under the sad pre- 
 sentiment that they had heard their revered instructor for 
 the last time. 
 
 It is our highest honor and our greatest privilege at any 
 time to be permitted to work for Jesus ; but how delightful 
 to be able, under such favorable circumstances, to fill up 
 the measure of duty until the last hour ; yea, even the last 
 hour itself! It was an honor to him, that in the bloom of 
 manhood and in the giant strength of Cherith and Carmel, 
 he had given himself so fully to the work assigned him', 
 still more now when the raven locks of his youth are silvered 
 over with age, and the strong man begins to feel the de- 
 mands of advancing years, that his soul burned, as ever, 
 with an all-consuming zeal for God and tor his cause. See 
 him during the closing eight years of hallowed toil, gathering 
 
Ml». 
 
 OF EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 13 
 
 Set) 
 
 around him a band of noble youth, indoctrinating them in 
 the principles of the old theocracy, expounding the great 
 principles of the Moral and Levitical Law, making them 
 acquainted with the complicated typical and ceremonial 
 dispensations, alternating those pursuits with the story of 
 sacred poetry and music, and above all, exhorting them to 
 holy boldness in the profession of the old f-iith. How 
 becoming for those who are going to heaven to be concerned 
 for those they leave behind, and to leave them their experi- 
 ences, testimonies, counsels, and prayers ! 
 
 The countenance is often an index to the soul. Joy of 
 heart is often seen in the radiant countenance, the outward 
 expression telling the tidings of the inner life. Either the 
 young men saw heaven already in his manner, or in his ex- 
 pression, or in his farewell counsels, or they were inspired 
 by the Holy Spirit, or they received the intelligence from 
 him privately that he was soon to be removed ; for with 
 hearts bursting with fond and deep emotion they go forth 
 to meet him, whom they all recognize as their head, or 
 President. With delicate reticence, they make no reference 
 to their spiritual Father of the approaching event. To 
 Elisha, only, do they venture the question now uppermost 
 in their minds. Is it true 1 Can it be 1 « Knowest thou 
 that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to- 
 day r To the question eo tenderly put, he answers in a 
 manner which shows the tenderness of his feelings. Let 
 there be no parting scene, give and receive the parting 
 farewell, in mute expressive silence. It is too tender a 
 theme to be mooted. He would have them maintain a 
 solemn silence in a matter too grand for utterance. Words 
 but poorly convey the feeUngs of the heart at such a time. 
 . In these days of separations and family bereavements, it 
 
u 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 »> 
 
 IS natural and proper that we should converse freely and 
 often about death. Some one has said, -the way to be 
 prepared to die, is to bocome familiar with death." What 
 IS death ? How difficult a thing it is to become acquainted 
 with. Ask law, « What ia death ? The answer is. « It is 
 capital punishment." Infidelity says, "It is an eternal 
 sleep, or "annihilation," or "the extinction of being" 
 Philosophy answers, "It is the negative of life" ^e 
 poet says, "It is the worm that gnaws at the rooi of all 
 terrestrial happiness," "The gall of every earthly sw.oo," 
 Ihe thorn of every rose that blooms below," " The cloud 
 upon our noonday sky," " The frost in life's early summer » 
 A sigh in the middle of a laugh," "The perfume of the 
 grave amid our rarest spices," "A step that reaches to 
 eternity, "The twilight of our day," "Life's last shore 
 where vanities are vain no more," " It is the crown of life " 
 " The vestibule of eternity." ' 
 
 "What is death? 
 Blood only stopped, and interrupted breath ; 
 The utmost limit of a narrow span. 
 And end of motion which with life began." 
 
 Theology calls death "The wages of sin," "A dissolu- 
 tion of the earthly house," "A taking down of the taber- 
 nacle, " A giving up of the ghost," i.e., the departure of tiie 
 guest, " A sleep," "A separation of soul and body » " The 
 unclothing of the spirit." Job calls death "The'kin^of 
 terrors," and Aristotle " The terrible of terribles." Now 
 while there is truth and beauty in many of these answers 
 we have more of the grand phUosophy of death in the 
 simple question of the yoUng man to Elisha, "Knowest 
 thou, t.fiaf Tww T.Ai»T\ toJII 4.-1 — »» xi 1 , ■« , 
 
 , „!, „^^ „ao.o wiy nusoand, thy teacher, 
 
\ 
 
 OF EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 15 
 
 freely and 
 y&y to be 
 " What 
 cquainted 
 is, «* It is 
 a eternal 
 ■ being." 
 e." The 
 3t of all 
 
 ' SWPo*;," 
 
 'he cloud 
 ummer," 
 e of the 
 Lches to 
 st shore 
 of life," 
 
 dissolu- 
 3 taber- 
 e of the 
 ' "The 
 king of 
 Now 
 Qswers, 
 in the 
 nowest 
 eacher, • 
 
 . 
 
 thy child, thy friend, thy brother away to-day. Oh, what a 
 comfort to know they are taken by Him ! The wicked are 
 driven away. "TheLord gave and the Lord hath taken away." 
 "The spirit shall return unto God," "Into thy hands, O 
 Lord,I commend my spirit," " Lord Jesus receive my spirit." 
 What comfort to mourning relatives to know that it is the 
 Lord who takes our loved ones "to be with Christ." " For 
 thou art with me," "Enoch was not, for God took him." 
 Lazarus was carried by angels. " It is the Lord, let him do 
 what seemeth good unto him." 
 
 There is one trait of character finely Hlustrated here to 
 which I direct attention for a moment, that is, his humility. 
 
 —"That low sweet root, 
 
 Prom which all heavenly virtues shoot." 
 
 ♦' Humility is the eldest bom of virtue, 
 
 And claims the birthright at the throne of heaven." 
 
 Montgomery says : 
 
 " The saint that wears heaven's brightest crown, 
 
 In deepest adoration bends ; 
 The weight of glory bends him down 
 Then most when most his soul ascends ; 
 Nearest the throne itself must be 
 The footstool of humility." 
 
 This is a plant that grows only in the garden of the Lord. 
 It is not the production of nature. It is an exotic here, a 
 plant brought from a foreign clime, and haa to be cultivated 
 with care. 
 
 True greatness of soul is never found seeking woridly 
 applause, or sounding its own trumpet. Conscious of the 
 Divine favor and approval it is satisfied. With Elijah there 
 was no ostentation, no narade. nn (wlf B«oir;»,« . i,^ ,v,;„Ui 
 have gathered all Israel to him to witness the unwonted 
 
le 
 
 BERlfON ON THE DEATH 
 
 ^oiy that awaited hiu; and to sound in eulogistic phrase 
 the honor of the occasion ; but he sought retirement, he 
 Wkmik ffom obnervation, and with , ch a loving tenderness 
 as showeu that the sternness of manner in his earlier years 
 was now mellowed and softened by divine grace. He said 
 the third time, " Tarry, I pray thee here, for the Lord hath 
 sent me to Jordan." Wo see in the humility and tender- 
 ness, m the mildness and gentleness of his last days, a 
 blessed realization of his vision at Horob. His own cha- 
 racter and life were reflected in that sublime diorama of 
 nature. The great and strong wind had passed away, and 
 left behind tae shattered fragments of a broken superstition- 
 the earthquake and the fire had gone by, and now the close 
 of life had its befitting symbol in the "still small voice." 
 
 That memorable vision of God, while it moulded his life 
 work and shaped his plans, also changed his character, and 
 brought about a renewal of his whole nature. Oh, that we 
 might realise more fully a nearer approach to God, that we 
 could hear his « still small voice" in our inner ear, and go 
 from this memorial service with renewed natures, with 
 new purposes, new aims, and a new life ! 
 
 The farewell words on this side Jordan were all spoken, 
 the last look taken at the sacred spots he loved so well! 
 Jorrian too, is crossed over, and in such a way as to send a 
 voice along the centuries of time, saying, to all who come 
 this way, there is nothing to fear. 
 
 There are times when the mind is filled with tho'-r- s 
 that cannot find utterance, when emotion rises too high tor 
 words. Such must have been the feeling aa the two friends 
 of God walked in silence along the vale, the silence is at 
 last brok bv Elijah, who says to his faithful friend, " Ask 
 what I iha- . ;. c th.u ." Hp mmjif woii v>o „,.„,._. j /• . 
 
 'I 
 
\ 
 
 OF EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 17 
 
 ( 
 
 another thought of earth, or of friends ; but true friendship 
 never dies. It goes down with us to Jordan, imd over Jor- 
 dan, and will live forever on the "evergreen shore." The 
 departing one hns a generous proposal to make to his friend. 
 Where truo generosity finds a home, entreaty and importu- 
 nity are quite out of place. The benevolent man does not 
 neod entreaty. He offers freely. He urges you to ask. 
 He compels you to take from him, and with a civility and 
 courteousnesa peculiar to goodness he will always do the 
 generous thing in the most handsome way. « To do good 
 and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices 
 God is well pleased. « Ask what I shall do for thee." He 
 seemed glad to be the almoner of blessing, even while he 
 was going up to heaven. His proposal was full and com- 
 prehensive, Elijah can give, oh, how much? He can open 
 heaveu or shut it up, can send fire or flood, can give life or 
 death. God gives a kind of omnipotency to his people in 
 giving them the key of prayer with which to unlock the 
 treasures of heaven. "Ask and ye shall receive ;" "And 
 all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye 
 shall receive;" "Therefore I say unto you, what things 
 soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, 
 and ye shall have them ; " « And whatsoever ye shall ask iil 
 my name, that will I do," " If ye shall ask anything in my 
 name I will do it." Glory be to God for such promises. 
 " Whatsoever ye shall ask," that is the promise. Won- 
 derful promise, glorious privilege. Is there no danger in 
 giving such promises ? No. It is quite safe, because all 
 the promises to the earnest asker, are surrounded by a zone 
 of divine wisdom, the Spirit that gives the promise, indites 
 the petition, and prompts the asker. Prayer must always 
 be limited to what is fitting, to what is proper, to what te 
 
 I 
 
j^pess: 
 
 mBom 
 
 <w._,^iUk^ 
 
 
 18 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 r 
 
 in harmony with the Divine mind, and answerable to our 
 circumstances and according to his will. 
 
 This proposal was in perfect harmony with the plan and 
 purpose of God. Elijah would enrich his successor, he 
 would bequeath to him a large legacy, a rich inheritance, 
 he would have the richest and most valuable blessing of 
 heaven communicated to him, but he must "ask;" this is 
 God's method. He will give, he longs to give us, but we 
 must come to his terms, and ask. « What will you that I 
 shall do for you V In the kingdom of grace all the store-, 
 rooms of divine munificence are labelled with the word 
 ASK. Good Sammy Hick thought that we were well off 
 if we got the Holy Spirit for asking it. It might be said 
 of many of us, « Ye have not, because ye ask not." « Call 
 upon me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and 
 mighty thmgs, which thou knowest not." 
 
 What will Elisha aski What a privilege to be permitted 
 and urged to prepare a request. Will he ask for honors, 
 long life, for Ahab's crown, for the destruction of his enemy, 
 for thousands of gold and silver ? No, there are none of the 
 promptings of worldly avarice or ambition in his mind. 
 The felt necessity of his whole being will give form and 
 words to his prayer ; the concentrated longings of his whole 
 heart and mind will dictate his request. "Prayer is the 
 soul's sincere desire." He feels a mighty sense of his own 
 unworthiness, a conscious inability for the great duty 
 assigned him. The intense longing of his whole soul was 
 to be pre-eminently qualified for the office and work to 
 which he was called. He keenly felt the loss he was to 
 sustain in the departure of his counsellor, or chief friend. 
 He knew, too, the loss these schools had sustained in the 
 1 o- - I'dKsv igtc nouis, iiiid ihe bianjc now made in 
 
rrrr 
 
 imp 
 
 m 
 
 wmm 
 
 OF EDWABD JACKSON. 
 
 19 
 
 those halls of sacred learning. He knew that the times in 
 which he lived demanded men of more than Elijah's cou- 
 rage and zeal, and holiness and power. He knew that suu- 
 worship, and moon-worship, and star-worship, and self- 
 worship had drawn away the hearts of the princes and of 
 the people, and that the main pillar of the church of God 
 was so soon to be removed from them. He felt too, that he 
 was brought nearer to God and heaven than ever before. 
 He saw how sublimely calm and tranquil his master was 
 m that solemn and momentous hour, when he stood 
 with one foot on the shifting sands of time, and the 
 other on the shores of eternity. He saw that dear 
 familiar face of one he loved so well, all lit up with the 
 radiance of celestial glory, the mortal putting on immor- 
 taUty, the corruptible putting on incorruption, there in the 
 dressing-room, on the threshold of glory, what will he 
 ask? 
 
 He had witnessed the displays of the Divine Spirit 
 largely communicated toman, the spirit of genuine humility, 
 of entire holiness, of undaunted courage, of unbounded 
 wisdom, of untiring zeal, of ardent devotion, of quenchless 
 love, of heroic firmness, of wise discernment, of convincing 
 speech, of godlike power. " And Elisha said, I pray thee 
 I let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me," one only 
 
 gift I ask. 
 
 The double portion was usually reserved for the heir in 
 law, and the successor in office. A sense of his own weak- 
 ness and unworthiness in comparison with Elijah, prompted 
 the prudent and pious request, that upon him a rich heri- 
 tage of blessing might be poured, fully qualifying him to 
 be the worthy successor of one whom God delighted to 
 honor. 
 
20 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 "Tfl 
 
 This prayer had special reference to the ministerial office 
 and work. The answer he received showed the importance 
 of the prayer in itself, and the difficulty in granting the 
 request. Difficult as it waa, the answer is promptly and 
 freely given, and an assurance also given, that its bestowment 
 was conditional, that it depended on himself whether the 
 rich boon would be his or not. In this we also note a strik- 
 ing resemblance to the economy of God, and the conditions 
 upon which he bestows his gracious blessings. The Divine 
 decision is, that a cheerful compliance with certain condi- 
 tions will secure the benefit. "Be thou faithful unto death 
 and I will give thee a crown of life." Show that you are 
 worthy of its possession and the blessing shall be yours 
 " Be watchful," " Be persevering ; » retain to the end the 
 same devotion of heart, and the rich boon for which thy 
 heart longs shall be yours. To us, my dear friends, to you 
 and to me, there is oflfered upon the same condition, no less 
 ablessmg than "an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, 
 and that fadeth not away." May it be ours to prove 
 ourselves worthy of its reception. 
 
 The two holy men walked on, and talked as they went, 
 until suddenly they separate. A change passes over the body 
 of Elijah. Paul says, '< Behold I show you a mystery, we ' 
 shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a mo- 
 ment, m the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for 
 the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incor- 
 ruptible, and we shall be changed." The natural now becomes 
 spiritual, the earthly body now becomes heavenly. « There 
 is a natural body and there is a spiritual bodv." The royal 
 cavalcade has left the portals of the sky. Noiseles as the sun- 
 beams the chariot rolls. Oh ! the speed down the hill sides of 
 glory. Swift as Ifghtningit comes, the filnnrla n«rf +f>o ^r— 
 
OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 21 
 
 tain is all aglow with an unearthly splendor. Elijah is 
 caught up by a whirlwind and begins his upward flight. On, 
 and on to his heavenly home. Away go steeds and chariot up 
 the hills of eternity, while the face and raiment of Elijah 
 turn golden in the flash of the fiery vehicle. Already the 
 chariot has entered the celestial gates, it is drawn up amidst 
 the songs and harpings of the harpers arrayed in white 
 robes, and it stands to deliver its glorious passenger. While 
 Elisha in tears cries out, "My father, my father," the 
 Master above is saying, "Well done good and faithful ser- 
 vant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
 This most important and interesting event we consider in 
 different aspects. We view it as the highest representa- 
 tion of the end of a great and good career ; of death as seen 
 under its noblest aspects ; as the completion and crown of 
 the life which had preceded it; as a gracious recompense of 
 a life of singular devotion, as the mysterious shrouding of 
 the departed within the invisible world j as an illustration 
 of our relationship to the future state; as a substitution, 
 evidence, and illustration of the change that will pass upon 
 the bodies of those who live here when Jesus comes. It 
 was fitting that a representative man, as he was, should be 
 removed from earth in such a way as that the record of his 
 departure would be an incentive to duty, and a standing 
 memorial of great principles, until time shall be no more. 
 We may not look for a flaming escort and a visible chariot 
 to accompany us to our future home. Nor is it at all desir- • 
 able. Such a display of the royal artillery of heaven would 
 be too much for us. Our departure from our earthly to our 
 heavenly home may be as safe as his— our happiness as real 
 —our exit as triumphant— our future as glorious. Lazarus, 
 who went home from the rich man's gate, had a convoy in 
 
22 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 many respects more desirable. The believer in Christ en- 
 joys the very same presence as Elijah did. « My presence 
 shall go with thee." He is conducted to the "very same 
 place; to the paradise of God. He enjoys the very same 
 company, and joins in the same exercises of thanks and 
 praise. Jesus said, " If any man keep my sayings, he shall 
 never see death." « He that believeth in me shall never 
 die." Their departure is connected with the sleep of the 
 body until, at the bidding of God, the spirit comes to put 
 it on afresh. The dear dead dust will be re-animated, raised 
 and made like unto Christ's glorious body. «* Marvel not at 
 this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in 
 the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they 
 that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they 
 that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation,'' 
 " But every man in his own order ; Christ the first fruits, 
 afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." 
 
 The believer in Jesus, may, too, even in death, glorify 
 God even more than in his life. Who can contemplate the 
 closing hours of a good man under circumstances so full of 
 joy and blessing, and not breathe out in earnestness the 
 prayer, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my 
 last end be like his !" Take an example or two of death- 
 bed scenes that I have seen in my own pastorate. In ahouse 
 opposite the parsonage in , Mrs. F was sur- 
 rounded by her husband and a large family of children. In 
 early life she knew and loved the Saviour, and amid much 
 difficulty she held on her way, even though with a trem- 
 bling hand. Her husband called himself an Episcopalian, 
 and his minister, the Rev. Mr. W., was present in the 
 room as I entered, having been twice sent for. Having been 
 out on duty, it was very late In the evening. By her re- 
 
OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 23 
 
 quest we had three seasons of prayer, one after another. 
 She was intensely anxious for a "full assurance," a brighter 
 evidence of her acceptance ; and the blessing canie in full- 
 ness and power. We sang and rejoiced with her for a sea- 
 son ; when after a moment's silence, she smiled and said, 
 "Did you ' ear that singing 1 such sweet singing ! Mr. F. , 
 do you see those white robes 1 I want you all to praise 
 God with me. I can go now, happy in Jesus ; my sins are 
 pardoned, I am free, all is well." For three hours she talked 
 to us of the company all in white, and of the heavenly 
 music, and with " Praise the Lord " upon her lips, she fell 
 asleep in Jesus. 
 
 One of our ministers, the Rev. J. A., when dying, said to 
 me, " It is all peace and joy and heaven safe, safe — washed 
 in the blood of the Lamb." 
 
 "What is the choir practising for this evening?" said 
 Mrs. W., the wife of one of our ministers, who died in the 
 
 parsonage in . « I have heard sweet singing the last 
 
 hour, and I thought the choir was singing, oh ! such heavenly 
 music." She said, " It is nothing to die with such music to 
 cheer one all through the valley." 
 
 A little daughter, only three years, two months, and three 
 days old, in her father's arms, said, " Mamma, I'm cold, 
 cover me. Pa, T can't see you, it is getting dark, please 
 light the lamp. Pa, I'm going. Will you come with me 1 
 Keep me close to you, Pa, close up." Then after a few mi- 
 nutes she smiled for some time, and said "Pa, it is all white, 
 all white ; three or four, a great many, all white." She 
 kissed her parents, and with her own little fingers she 
 closed her eyes, with a smile upon her face which even 
 death did not remove, 
 
 "Jim," said a sailor to his comrade, "there are two ways 
 
 'Tmrnummmmx^ .*!«■»■ ^ 
 
Mi 
 
 24 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 f^ Ml 
 
 I I 
 
 of dying, mind, I tell you. I saw one die, it was awful ; 
 indeed it was ; I never want to look at any one die so again. 
 But, Jim, I saw a Christian die ; he was too happy almost ; 
 indeed he was all full of happiness. I'd like to die as he 
 did. Dying is no trouble to a Christian." 
 
 Raphael, the great painter, was once engaged evoking 
 from ihe canvas forms of beauty that seemed glad to come. 
 A visitor who had been looking on in mute admiration, in- 
 spired by the beauty of the picture, exclaimed, " I too am a 
 painter." 
 
 There are many persons who were acquainted with 
 the manly form and genial spirit of our dear brother 
 Jackson who, as they heard of his death— which, indeed was 
 more of a translation than a death— said to themselves, I too 
 am a Christian, or, I too, by the grace of God, will become 
 one. Mu> that happy death be the means of an increase 
 of spiritual life among pastors and people ! " He, being 
 dead, yet speaketh." That we may catch the inspiration of 
 his falling mantle, and be encouraged to run the race with 
 patience, let us note, in brief, a few points of his personal 
 history. 
 
 It may with great propriety be said, that while in 
 church ordinances and life he had a much loved home, 
 as every man ought to have ; and that by the sunshine of 
 his happy life, and the benevolence of his heart, he did much 
 to make that church home desirable for others, yet, in a true 
 sense, Mr. Jackson belonged to the whole church miUtant, 
 as he now does to the church triumphant. While in doc- 
 trine and in discipline, in her external polity and her 
 internal life, he was a Methodist, he understood full well, 
 and he practised too, the old Methodist motto—" The friend 
 vi-aiij V — .s.j. oi itOHo. xui Ljuo uuuicuoB snared m his 
 
OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 25 
 
 catholicity of feeling and in his liberality in giving, and all 
 the churches delighted to do him honor ; and on the broad 
 platform of Christian enterprise, as in the Bible Society 
 and kindred institutions, none was more highly honored, 
 or more universally esteemed than he. 
 
 Bro. Edward Jackson was bom April, 1799, at Reading, 
 Conn., and departed this life on July 14, 1872. He had 
 therefore seen his seventy-third birthday before he was 
 called hence. In the year 1826 he left his native State 
 and came to Canada, and entered into business in the town 
 of Niagara. In 1 828 he removed to the village of Ancaster, 
 which was then supposed to be the emporium of commerce 
 in this portion of the new province. Mr. Jackson, with 
 that sagacity and shrewdness which marked all his business 
 transactions, saw that the geographical, local, and commer- 
 cial advantages were all in favor of the little village of 
 Hamilton, then unknown on the Conference records — An- 
 caster being the head of the circuit, that circuit including 
 the ground now occupied by the city and the six adjoining 
 circuits. In 1830 he came to Hamilton, and has resided 
 here ever since; One who knew him well writes as follows : 
 
 "During these 42 years he had the best opportunities to be ac- 
 quainted with the various stages in the growth of this town, and 
 in latter years he was esteemed in the light of an old resident, who 
 by his acti'Tity and business qualifications had been identified with 
 ^'-8 manufacturing and mercantile interests of Hamilton, to the 
 lasting advantage of both. He established the business now prose- 
 cuted by Messrs. D. Moore & Co.,— the head of which well-known 
 firm first entered business life at the age of 15 with Mr. Jackson. 
 
 The deceased did not confine his abilities to the city of Hamilton, 
 but took an active interest in business, as a silent partner, in exten- 
 sive firms in Toronto, Port Hope, London, and Chicago. An ex- 
 Jsiftyo? Oi juX^ndon, tiiS iTiayor of x oft Hope, and the ex*Mftyor 
 
 mn^utOKKm-mt.- 
 
26 
 
 SERMON OK THE DEATH 
 
 I! 
 
 of Chatham, are gentlemen who were trained in business by him : 
 they and many others re now the heads of large firms, doing very 
 extensive business. To the various enterprises of the city he gave 
 his countenance and a willing and eflFective support. He was for 
 some time one of the Directors of the old Gore Bank, established 
 many years ago. He clearly perceived the great advantages that 
 would accrue to Hamilton from a more extended intercommunica- 
 tion with the surrounding country, and ably assisted schemes for 
 this purpose — the various railway projects receivintr valuable aid 
 from him. In fact, he was very successful in all hit» undertakings, 
 and amassed a very considerable property and an abundance of the 
 good things of the world." 
 
 In 1833, the Rev. James Evans, then a young minister, 
 who has since gone to his reward, was conducting a pro- 
 tracted meeting of great interest and power, in the litil 
 church, a frame structure now, on the old site east of Wel- 
 lington street. " And of Zion it shall be said, this and that 
 man was born in her, and the highest himself shall estab- 
 lish her. The Lord shall count when he writeth up the 
 people, that this man was born there." When the books 
 are opened and the book of life is searched, it will be seen 
 what a tidal wave of blessed influence went forth from that 
 and similar meetings, and what an army was raised up for 
 God through the instrumentality of Bro. Evans and others 
 the fruit of whose labors and privations we have been 
 enjoying, with hearts, I fear not over thankful. 
 
 Business engagements called Mr. Jackson from home 
 during this season of revival. While absent, sister Jackson 
 was made the happy partaker of the " pearl of great price," 
 and now having given her own heart to God and her life to 
 his service, she became an earnest, willing, useful worker 
 for Christ. The yoke of Christ is always easy, and burdens 
 of love are always light, and for Mr. Jackson there was a 
 cheerful, happy testimony awaiting. Two blessings always 
 
OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 27 
 
 accompany such a testimony for Jesus : the giver is blessed, 
 
 and a blessing always follows the testimony to the listener. 
 
 " What we have felt and seen, 
 With confidence we tell." 
 
 On Mr. Jackson's return he was brought into contact with 
 a new element of religious thought, and with the thought, 
 there was life and power which commanded his confidence, 
 his intellect, and his heart. An intelligent living testimony 
 for Jesus never fails to secure a blessing in some way. O ye, 
 whose partners in life's conflicts and life's joys have not yet 
 been converted to God, there is here, for you, admonition, 
 instruction, and encouragement ; you may, if faithful, be the 
 honored instrument of leading your partner to Jesus, and 
 your crown may shine all the brighter because they too have 
 a crown to wear. 
 
 There are some men who "ct before they think ; while 
 there are others who think and never act. Bro. Jackson 
 did both, hs first examined the matter for himself, counted 
 the cost, and resolved, and then came as an humble, contrite 
 seeker of salvation. They that seek do find. The real seeker 
 always finds. The earnest seeker finds without much delay. 
 The moment you comply with the condition the benefit is 
 yours. He came, he sought, he found. "Thanks be to 
 God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." His evidence of acceptance with God through the 
 one mediation was clear, satisfactory, fmd abiding, a his 
 testimony during a life-service of nearly forty years was 
 remarkably distinct and definite. He too became a living 
 witness for Christ, and in the family circle, in class meeting, 
 fellowship meeting and love-feast, and in all the religious 
 movements of the day, he gave an unwavering testimony 
 for the truth as it is in Jesus, 
 
28 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 I sometimes hear it said, as a sort of apology for the in- 
 consistencies in business transactions, Commerce is com- 
 merce, business is business, religion is religion, politics are 
 politics, pleasure is pleasure ; as if a man's business or plea- 
 sure should bo divorced the one from the other, or either 
 from his religion; as if commercial dishonesty or professional 
 trickery could by some means be made compatible with the 
 true nobility of a Christian character. No, my dear hearer, 
 your religion should sanctify and direct and regulate all the 
 departments of professional and public life, and at the 
 counter, in the office, in the counting-room, and the ex- 
 change, at the ballot-box, and in the senate, your Chris- 
 tianity should be felt aa your sheet anchor, your strength, 
 your glory. Christian principle and not worldly policy, 
 Christian ethics and not worldly tactics, the law of God 
 and not the law of the day, should be your guide and rule 
 of action. One cause, and the principal cause, of the suc- 
 cess of our dear friend in business, was, the noble purpose 
 and high resolve to do right— to dare to be true. Do not 
 all our business men know that E. Jackson's word was as 
 good as abend 1 It was a bond ; a word based on true Chris- 
 tian principle. Let your life motto be, " Whether therefore 
 ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do," that includes pleasure, 
 and business, and politics, •' do all to the glory of God. 
 
 A gentleman, well qualified to speak on the point, said 
 to me yesterday, " Mr. Jackson so conducted his business 
 as never to make an enc ay or lose a friend." 
 
 When Mr. Jackson enlisted in the service of Christ he 
 did so for life, and his life was one of increasing usefulness. 
 He never laid by the harness. " He held fast the profession 
 of his faith without wavering." " His leaf did not wither," 
 nor his love grow cold. It is a pleasing fact that speaks 
 
OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 29 
 
 more than words can utter, of his consistent walk in the 
 ways ami works of God, that so many of the young men in 
 his employ were led by him, and by the power of his Chris- 
 tian example, to give their hearts and lives to God, and are 
 m some humble way in their own churches holding up ^he 
 banner for Christ. May a double portion of his spirit ;est 
 upon them ! In the month of March, 1833, he gave himself 
 to God and to the church by the will of God, and in the 
 following May he was appointed class leader, which office 
 he held until the Master called him to his reward All the 
 offices and honorable positions the church had at its disposal 
 were from time to time pressed upon him. He was no ^ce 
 seeker; nor would he consent to any position among his 
 brethren where duty, with its imperative mandate, did not 
 call him. His true humility of heart oft lead him to decline 
 honors, that the city churches were most happy to offer and 
 as he advanced in years and matured in grace, that same 
 virtue became more and more conspicuous. The stalk of 
 growmg grain stands erect in its green state, but as it ripens 
 It gently and gracefully bends toward the earth ; so grace 
 fully does the ripening saint bend in the exercise of 
 genuine humility. Lowliness of mind is one of the most 
 distinguishing features of every disciple of Christ • but it is 
 one that becomes more and more prominent, L his full 
 conformity to his gracious Master approaches. It -was a 
 grace distinctly marked in the mellowing beauty of his 
 later years. 
 
 Of his princely generosity I need not speak • his 
 praise, in this particular, is in all the churches. All the 
 benevolent enterprises of. the day, and the very many 
 church extension movements, found in him a cheerful and a 
 
 
80 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH 
 
 F'ra' 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 
 m 
 
 j 
 
 Bi 
 
 
 Hi 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 liberal giver j while the poor and needy were never Bent 
 empty away. In the year tluit Mr. Jackson joined the 
 church, Victoria College, in its early history, began to 
 claim the attention of the friends of education on sound 
 Christian principles. Our dear friend was an early and con- 
 Btant sympathizer with that institution, and ho always gave 
 tangible evidence of his sympathy ; especially, like Elijah, 
 in his later years, did he sympathize more fully with our 
 educational institutions. I may add that one of his last 
 munificent acts was to arrange for tho privnto endowment 
 of k chair of theology. There are many particulars of cha- 
 racter and life that might well claim our attention, for he 
 had sterling attributes peculiariy his own, but, to my 
 mind, that which specially raised him above many of his 
 brethren, in similar circumstances, was, his constant and 
 faithful attendance upon «aW the means of grace." In this 
 respect, and in regard to his moral and religious influence, 
 as a man and a Methodist, we have not his equal. 
 
 The few visits 1 was permitted to make him during his 
 confinement to his room, were to me seasons of great bless- 
 ing. Other visitors affirm the same. The Friday before 
 his departure I found him very peaceful and happy. For 
 him, there was very much of the emotional. We conversed 
 very freely on the Christian triumphing over death, even 
 over the natural fear of the dissolution of the earthly taber- 
 nacle, the sickness, pain, and emaciation, weakness, &c. 
 that usually are connected with death. I referred to the 
 sudden exit from life and time of many of the Lord's loved 
 ones. I mentioned the case of Dr. Beaumont among others, 
 he having heard the Master's call while reading the 316th 
 hymn in the pulpit, as he came to the second verse, 
 
OF BDWABD MCtSOIC. 
 He bidea Us («o behind hia wiiig,,"_ 
 
 31 
 
 In attomptmg to ,.ttor the tot worda of the next line, he 
 fell m tlie pul,„t, closing his eye, in an earthly temple, ind 
 opemng them in the temple above I Bro. Jaokso^ J 
 more npngU m the ehair, and with a smile I shall 
 not soon forget, «.id, "Well, if it ple„«, .t, ^o^, 
 
 del" J '° «° '"'' *"' ™y^ •"■' His wm to 
 done We were greatly blessed in pmyer together, when 
 w.a hia warm grasp, hi, friendly smUe, and his Christian 
 heart, he sa.d " 1 thank you for tL« visit : eome again " ^ 
 »y deo. brethren, Hunter and Benson, and to others, ho 
 gave the strongest evidenee that ho was waiting in ;,„. 
 a^uranco and sublime fortitude, the wUl of his heavenly 
 
 Tm „!" t '''.T" ™ " '"' of happinessandpeaee' 
 He felt unusually well, and took part as usual in the family 
 
 circ e. After conversation on the pulpit topics of the day 
 
 he mv.ted the friends into the parlor, ^ing -i Zi 
 
 go and arrange the programme." After lighting the gas 
 
 ^d w.th h,s usual courtesy, seated the friends, saying, " S ' 
 
 Benson wm sing us one of the sweet songs of Zion." "He 
 
 ^^^•■'"i'r """^ "'■''' he asked for the "Power of 
 W w ach was a favourite of his. At hia request, they 
 all jomed m prayer, and whUe on his knees in his ow^ par 
 lor, with his family and a few bebved friends, on Sabbath 
 
 he heard the c<dl, " Come up higher." He is not dead : such 
 aspmt cannot die. Such principles produced and neurish^ 
 by the gra^ of God never die. Ail of him that could 
 
 largest funeral cortege ever seen the in city. We wiU miaa 
 
32 
 
 SERMON ON THE DEATH OP EDWARD JACKSON. 
 
 him in all our churches, and in all our Christian enter- 
 pnses where good men meet to plan and work for God. 
 
 " Our friend is restored 
 
 To the joy of hia Lord, 
 But speaks by his death to our echoing hearts. 
 
 Follow after he cries, 
 
 As he mounts to the skies, 
 
 Follow after, your friend, 
 To the blissful enjoyments that never shall end." 
 
 Printed at the Wesleyan Conference Office, 80 King Street East.