u & 1 Dr. Cbauncfs \ DISCOURSE Occafioncd by the DEATH of the Reverend Dr. May hew. u A DISCOURSE OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF THE REVERNED JONATHAN MAYHEW, D. Do LATE PASTOR OF THE WEST-CHURCH IN BOSTON : WHO DEPARTED THIS LlFE On Wednefday Morning, JULY 9. 17663 .&TATIS 46. Delivered the LORD'S-DAY after his Deceafe. BY CHARLES CHAUNCY, D. D. A PASTOR OF THE FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. B S T N l Printed by R, and S. DRAPER, EDBS and GILI,, and T. and J. FLBST. MDCCLXVf, A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. ECCLES. VII. 2. " THAT is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. ' HAD the fovereignLord of life fele&ed for death me, who am fpeaking to you, inftead of him who was your paftor, and my " fellow-laborer, and com- panion, in the kingdom and patience of Jefus Chrift, " he would, I doubt not, have been concerned, that fuch a providence might have quickened his care in preparing to follow after in his turn. And had he been A FUNERAL DISCOURS-E. been called to preach upon my departure out of the world, as I am upon his, I can- not fuppofe but he would have taken occa- lion from fuch a difpenfation to put his hearers in mind of their own end ; urging them to conftant diligence, in the ufe of all means, that they might get and keep themfelves in readinefsfor it. This is cer- tainly the voice of heaven in the affecting inftance of mortality we are invited this day to lament before God : And it very loudly and folemnly calls to us all. " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." And may the voice of fo ftriking an article in the conduct of God not only enter into our cars, but into our hearts ! that it may have an abiding good effeft upon our lives, IM order to this, I fhall employ your meditations on the well adapted, important words of the wile and infpired Solomon, which have been juft read to you ; taking occafion from them to confider death as " the end of all men," and to explain and urge the duty of " laying to heart" this fe- fious and affecting truth. THE cc FUNERAL 'DISCOURSE. 7 TH E wife man had been fpeaking of the houfe of mourning ;" and he ful>- joins thereupon the awakening obfervation in the former part of my text, " that is the " end of all men." His meaning is, that death is the common fate of the whole hu- man race ; that we may all as certainly ex- pel to die, and to be carried to the grave, as thofe whofe funerals we are at any time called to attend. ONLY, let it be carefully remembered here, his thus fpeaking of death, as " the end of all men," is not to be underftood as favoring the notion of thofe, who fuppofe that death puts a " final period to man's exiftence." Such an interpretation of his words would be a contradiction, not only to the general doftrine of the Bible, but to the doftrine of this royal preacher himfelf in this very book ; which is, that " the fpirit of a man," when he dies, " gpeth up- wards," that is, to God, that God, who, as he fays, " will bring every work into judg- ment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil/' Hfi 8 A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. HE does not therefore call death " the end of all men," becaufe it puts an end to their being ; but becaufe it terminates their Hate in this world ; introducing them into a new and different manner of exiftence. Death is their " end," not as they ceafe, by means of it, to be any more at all ; but as it deftroys their prefent mode of life, with all the connections therewith, and depen- dances thereon, fo far as they relate to this lower world. THE human fyftem is a moft curious piece of divine workmanfhip. It confifts of two eflentially different parts, a " body" that is wonderfully put together, and ren- dered capable, by means of its various or- ganization, of a great many valuable purpo- fes ; and a " foul" that is furnifhed with powers of a more noble and excellent na- ture, fuch as thinking, reafoning, refle&ing, and perceiving both pleafure and pain,with admirable variety, in kind and degree, al- moft without end. Between thefe two, though quite different from each otherwhere is " fo intimate a relation as to conftitute * c one perfon, or living agent. And fuch is their " A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 9 their mutual dependance, that the " mind" perceives for the whole body, cares for all its " members, and directs all its motions : And, " on the other hand, the " corporeal organs' 1 " convey to the mind the knowledge of ex- " ternal objects, and are the fit inftrumcnts of " its active powers." This is our frame, and thus we live in the world. In confequence of thefe wonderfully formed " bodies" and " fouls," and the clofe union there is be- tween them, we become capable of all thofe employments and enjoyments, whether bodily or mental, fecular or religious, wherein con- fifts the benefit of life, and in the due pro- portioning and regulating of which lies its perfection and glory in this prefent (late, and its preparation for the enfuing one. Now death puts an end to what ? To the relation there is between foul and body, and their mutual fubfcrviency to each other, and every thing dependant thereon. No more pleafure is conveyed by the eyes, or ears, or any other of the organs of fenfation; no more ideas are introduced into the mind from external nature, at leaft in the ufual way : Nay, the mind itfelf can no longer exert any of its powers by the mediation of the body. There is now an end put to all the labors, bufineflcs, B aod DISCOURSE. and.amufements of the prefent life; to all the fatisfactions arifing from external objects, from fricndmips, from relations, or focial communications of any kind ; yea, even our very thoughts, depending on the body, do now perifh, together with all our defires and wiflies, all our projections and contri- vances, whether for ourfelves or others. TH is now is the " end" which death brings upon c: all men." It at once puts a period to all our pleafures as well as pains, to all our hopes as well as fears, to all our con- nections, diftinctions, and callings, whether civil or religious, PERMIT me here to make a paufe, and put you in mind of the obligations of love and gratitude you are under to Jefus Chrifl-, thro' whom 5t is we have the hope of a glorious immortality, notwithftanding all that death can do to deprive Us of life. Though death, which is the common lot of all men, will " end" our being in this prefent ftate, diiTolv- ing the union between our fouls and bodies, and rendering us abfolutely incapable of per- ception and enjoyment from any thing in this lower world; yet, thanks be to God, it will A FUNERAL DISCOURSE, 1 1 not deftroy our exiftenccas. " living agents." For we are taught, .in " the gofpel of the bleffed God/' which has " brought life and immortality to light/' that the " foul" fur- yives the funeral of the body, and is intro- duced, by means of death, into another fl^te, wherein it exerts its active powers in a new and different way, tho' quite unknown to us at prefent : Nay, we are affured in the facred books, particularly thofe of the new tefta- ment, that the " end"' which death puts to the relation between our fouls and bodies, in confequence of which our bodies are no longer animated with life and activity, but gradually fall to pieces, and crumble into common earth : I fay, we are affured, in the books of revelafion, that this difunion, which death makes, {hall not laft always; but that the time is coming, and haftcns apace, wljen. our fouls and bodies lhall be again united -to exift in this union in the eternal world. Says our Savior Jefus Chrift, " The hour is com- ing, in the which all that arc in their graves ihall hear the voice of the Son of God, and lhall come forth." And they who have done well, approving themfelvcs .his true difciples, 2nd faithful followers, fh.a!l come forth to enjoy an immortal life of happincfs. This B 2 3i; 19 A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. is clearly and fully certified to us by the Apoftle Paul in thefe words, " We look for a Savior, the Lord Jcfus Chrift, who fhali change our vile body, that it may be fafhion- ed like unto his glorious body." And again, " This corruptible muft put on incorruption, and this mortal muft put on immortality. So when this corruptible (hall have put on incorruption, and this mortal fhall have put on immortality, then fhall be brought to pafs the faying, that is written, death is fwallowed up in viftory. Thanks be to God for Jefus Chrift:,. thro' whom we obtain this viclory." LEL us, my brethren, relieve our minds under the fad profpeft of death, and the *' end" it puts to our being in this prefent ftate, with the hope the gofpel gives us, not only of another manner of exigence in our fouls immediately after death, but of our ex- ifting again both in foul and body, and in a \vorld where there will be " fullnefs of joy" forever. Only, let us take care to behave in the prefent life, fo as that our future immor- tality may be this happy and glorious one. IT is a thought particularly worthy of our ferlous attention, that our exigence in tlit A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 13 the ftatc that is beyond the grave, and after the general refurreftion, will not be a blefTed one, unlefs, in this day of our trial, we be- come qualified for thofe employments and enjoyments that will make it fo. We fhall all live, 'tis true, notwirhftanding death, in {he other world ; " for as in Adam all die, fo inChrift fhall all be made alive :" But then, this life will be an happy one to thofe only, who fo improve their prefent opportunities, powers and advantages, as to get formed to a meetnefs for the glories of the heavenly world, AND this leads me to explain and urge the fluty fpecified, in the latter part of my text, " the living will lay it to his heart." NOT that this is always the truth in point of faft. This cannot be the meaning of the words. One might be ready indeed to think, that fo common and certain a fate as death would be ferionfly confidered by all ; efpe- cially when they have placed before their view a flriking example of what will be their own cafe in a very little time, at longeft. But t is found to be far otherwife in experience, a-nd by pbfervation. Though we know not how *4 A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. Bow fbon our friends and acquaintance may be called to attend our remains to the dark and filent grave; yet, we are ftrangely inat- tentive to fo momentous an event. We do not " lay it to heart ;" we are not affected with the confideration of it, fo as to "num- ber our days aright, applying our hearts to \vifdom," the wifdom of being religious, and minding principally "the one thing needful." WHEN therefore the wife man fays, " the living will lay it to heart," his intention is, not to declare what they do in fact ; but what they ought to do, and what they will do if they act as is bcfitqng fnjil> dying creatures. "THE living will lay it to heart/'' that is, they will, if they are wife, fix their thoughts upon their" laftend;" making death the fpe- cial fubject of their ferious and folemn con- templation. /That which is laid to heart cngrofles the attention. The rnind is penfive, and in a manner taken up with the object before its view. One's thoughts are conti- nually running this way. IF therefore " the end of all men" is what " lies upon ow .heart/' we (hall-, at proper times, qfpecially \vhcu A FUNERAL DISCOURSE, if when called in the, providence of God to la- ment the death of others, turn our thoughts from the things of time and fenfe, and em- ploy them in ferious confideration of that fatal period which death will put to the ex- iftence^of all men, and our own in Ipecial, on this prefent ftage of aftiori. Not that meer- ly thinking on the human frame, as that which will fhortly come to an " end" here, is all that is intended by " laying death to heart ;" but this is one thing meant by it : for, that can- never be faid, with any propriety or truth, to be " laid to heart," which our minds are not intent upon, fo as that it is the fubject of our engaged meditation* " THE living will lay it to heart" Ano~ ther thing, and the principal one here meant, is, that they will be fo affefted with a ferious fenfe of their " end" as to be put upon fuita- ble endeavours to get prepared for it. When any thing of a temporal nature " lies upon our heart," we do not reft fatisfied barely with employing our thoughts about it; but are fo imprefTed with concern, as to be urged on to that method of conduct which is ad- j lifted to the objeft that engages our follici* iude. And, in this fenfe, " the Jiving," if they 16 A FUNERAL they are wife, " will lay the end of all men to heart." They wont content themfelves with a flight and tranfient confideration of death, like " a man, who, beholding his face in a glafs, ftraitway forgetteth what manner 1 of man he w r as"j but this ferious and im- portant truth will fill their minds, and excite in them a deep concern ; fuch an one as will be practical, influencing them to a becoming care, in the ufe of all proper means, that they may be fitted for the great event of their dying, and leaving this prefent world. IN fhort, this " laying death to heart," in the fenfe the wife man ufes the phrafe, im- ports fuch an awakened vigorous attention to the affairs of our fouls and another world, as will be effectual to difcngage us from our fins, and put us upon u living in all good confcience towards God/ 1 We fhall, if we are fuitably affefted with " the, end of all men," be aftive in our endeavours to become poflefled of, and daily to improve, every chri- ftian grace ; abounding in all thofe works of righteoufnefs, which, " by Jefus Chrifl: are to the praife and glory of God." We fhall cherifli no beloved fin, we fhall live in the aegleft of no known duty ; but fhall endea- , vour A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 17 to yield a fteady, uniform, chearful, unl- verfal obedience to the divine precepts. We fhall, in a \vord, (for I may not enlarge) make it our earneft care, that the feveral graces of faith, love, humility, meeknefs, patience, contentment, weanednefs from the world, and refignation to the divine pleafure, may have a real exigence in us, and difcover that they have by their being thrown out in- to afts, as occafions may be offered therefor in the conduct of providence, to the glory of God, and oiir being in a pfefent aftual meetnefs for the approach of death, and an happy immortality by means of it. THIS it is, and this only, tl^at makes it fit and reafonable, that oar hearts fliould be en- gaged in thinking upon " the end of all men." If our attention to this fubjeft does not awaken a concern in us, and fuch an one as will influence us to practical endea- vours that we may be ready for death, it will be to no religibus purpofe. This therefore, If not the only, is the principal fehfe, in which the infpired Solomon is to be under- flood, when he fatys, " the living will lay it to heart," that is, if they aft up to their cha- .rafter as reafonable creatures, C LET > 8 A FUN-ERAL DISCOURSE. LET me now urge both myfelf and ycul to this wifdom of condtift, by making it our great csre fo to think of our " end," as that we may be fitted for a glorious immortality beyond the grave. To be-prepared for this, by getting formed in our minds the principles of piety towards God, faith in our Lord] efus Chrift, and all the graces and virtues that conflitute and adorn the chriftian character, fhoald be our main bufinefs, the chief em- ployment of our lives in this world. And the fooner we fet about this important work, the better : Nor fhould any of us dare t<3 run the venture of procraftinating in an affair that is fo nearly connecled \vith our eternal welfare, f \-oung people efpecially are apt to be guilty of this folly ; imagining that^age is the time for fcrious thoughtfulnefs, the proper feafon to make preparation for dea r h and the other world. 'J hey fuppofe the evil day of death to be at a great diftance, and thiuk it is time enough hereafter to mind their f Dr. May-hew, fome years ago, preached and publifhed a volume of fermons, his defign in which was, to aniwei 1 the pleas of delaying finners," and to excite them to fpeed in turning their ftet into the path of God's telli- monies." Hs has faid every thing pertinent TO th iu^ j?6r and in a ferious, pathetic, and yet mod convincing m.-n- ner. It were to be wiflied, difcourfes fo well adap'er to putxnen upon inftant endeavours that they may beMJl religious, were snore generality attended to. A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. I their fouls, and provide for their exiftence in the future itdte But how knowcft thou, O v.i in young man, but that an " end" may be foon put to your days here on earth ? " There are," as we read in the book of Job, " that die in youth." And it is often feen to be the truth of faft, that c; one dieth in his full i^rength, being wholly at eafe and quiet. His breafts are full of milk, and his bones are moiftcned wich marro\V." And fhould any of you be of that number that fliall be feleftcd for death in the prime and vigor of Tifc, what a pitiful excufe would it be for your neglect of your fouls, and their evcrlafting falvation, that you hoped you fhould have lived till you were "full of daya" ! Oh ! tis perfett madncfs in young people to depend upon life, cfpcciafly upon life protracted till old age, and fo to depend upon it as to live thouglulefs of religion, and take 'no care to provide for their eternal du- ration in another world. Let me befeech you to hearken to that advice of pious David to his fon Solomon, " r l hou Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy father, and fcrve him with a pcrfccl heart, and with a willing mind." And fuffer your mind to be Imprefled with the powerful motives with C 2 Wi JNER^L DISCOURSE. which he enforces this advice, in the words that immediately follow, " For the Lord fl-ircheth all hearts, and underftandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou feekeft him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou forfakeft him, he will caft thee off forever/" Be perfuaded alfo to attend to that exhorty- tion of Solomon himfelf, when he had pafTed through the age of youth, and was come to ripenefs of years ; " Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thoii {halt fay I have no pleafure in them." MY being thu,s particular in fpeaking to young people, upon the prefent oqcafion, ipay be a word in feafon, as they make fo> great a part of this congregation. And I the rather thought there was a propriety in it, as, I know, your now deceafed paftor was greatly concerned that your minds might, in early life, be favingly impreflfed with a fe- rious fenfe of God, and the principles of ge- nuine chriftianity. To this end he preached, but a few years fince, a courfe of excellent fermons, " exhorting" you, the young peo- ple of his chars;e t *'* ^o be fober-mlnded." If A FUNERAL DISCOURSE 21 It was at the defire of many of you, fighified to him in writing, that they were printed fat your fpiritual edification. He is now dead ; but he (till fpeaks to you, and with great affection and folemnity, in thefe difcourfes. J heartily recommend them to your ferious, fre* quent, and confiderate pcrufal. They are admi- rably well adapted to inform your underftand- ings, to awaken your paffions, and, by all the motives that can be fetched from this world or another, to engage your endeavours to begin a religious courfe pf life betimes, and to go oq in it all your days. It will be your own fault, if you are not perfuaded, by what you will meet with in them, to make it the grand bufinefs of your life to gel formed to a readinefs for the world you are haftening to. AND let this be the care of us all, be our age, ftation, or condition, what it will. There is nothing we can be urged to that more nearly concerns us. 'Tis an affair of ever- lafting importance. ARE we any of us confcious to ourfelves, that we have all along, even to this day, lived thoughtlefs of our " cnd/'r.rglccling to A F&NERsfL DISCOURSE, ' preparation For it ? Oh ! what a wretched ffate are we in ! And how can we be " at cafe in biou," when we know not how foon, or fuddenly, a period may be put to our con- tinuance on the earth ? Suppofc the holy God fhould fpeak to us in the language he did to one in the days of Chrilt, " this night diy foul (hall be required of thee : J> O the Eotror of mind we fho.uld be thrown into ! When Belihazzar faw " the hand- writing up- on the wall," though in the midft of his. companions, and in the height of mirth and joilkyv how was u his countenance changed" ! And how did " his thoughts trouble him" 1 A lively embleai of the awful furprife thofe may be feized with, who arc overtaken by death,, while they had no cxpc&ation of fuch an event, and had made n,> provifion for it. O how are they confounded, and amazed ! What an'guifh filleth their hearts 1 How cut- ting is the review of their paft ncglecls ! How tormenting the fenfe of their loll op- portunities 1 And how does the reflection on their pa(r folly awaken their paffions, alarm confcicnce, and camfe them to turn upon themfelvTS with the kcenefl rcfentments* THERE is not a more pitiable fight, than that of an unconcerned, fceure, and flupid A FUNERAL DISCOURSE, aj ilnner, fuddenly arreflcd by death, and fent to -the place of fcparate fpirlts in the invifible ftate. To be turned out of the world with- out cbnfideration of our latter end, and, being unprepared for it, to fall' under the fentcnce of the flothful and wicked fcrvant> *' cart ye the unprofitable fervant into outer darkiufs," where there fhall be " weeping, and wailing, and gnafhing of teeth;" wJiat more (hocking! what more terrible ! Who can exprefs the infupportable agony of -fucia a poor foul ! It furpaiTls all language ! It goes beyond* the reach of conception ! BUT let us turn the profoeft, and ftippofe on the other hand, that we have " iaidxkada to heart," have fo confidered this " end of all men," as that we have been effectually en- gaged to " ykld ourfelves up to God" thro* Chriir, to love him with all our hearts, and to ferve him with all our might, by a due ufe of our tfmc, powers and talents : In this view of the matter, how fafe is our condi- tion ! What (ccurity may we feel in our' thoughts! What peace in our confcieaces-I What joy in our breafts I 1 ht moft fudden afTault by death would do us no harm, as 'being prepared for fuch aa event. We 4 d FUNERAL DISCOURSE. jnight have confidence tdwards God, wheri- ever, or in what manner foever, we are called hence. And fhould the call be fudden, O how pleafingly fhould we be furprifed to perceive, that we were now " in the city <0f the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," affbciated with the fpiritfc of juft men made f>erfeft; with an innumerable company of angels ; with the general affembly and church of the firft-born, which are written in hea- ifen ; with Jefus the mediator of the new- covenant ; arid with God the judge of all !" And who is able to defcribc the happinefs of 4hat ftate we are now in ! " Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, nor hath it ciitered into aaan's heart toconceive" of the greatnefsof it. NOTHING beyond this can befaid to drgc pon us the duty of " laying the end of all men to heart." The infpired books have p ropofed no higher motives to excite our liopes, and alarm our fears, that we might be roufed to aftion. And if we will be per- fuaded neither by thefe mercies, nor terrors of the Lord, we muft reap the fruit of our own folly. No arguments that are more |>owerfui can be ufed wUh us. I HAVE A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. ^ I HAVE now done with my text ; tho', I believe, you expeft that I fhould, before I conclude, take fome fpecial notice of the af* feeling occafion which gave rife to the pre- ceeding difcourfe from it. And, I freely own, I am in no want of an inclination to do all the honor and juftice I can to the memory of one fo richly accomplifhed as Dr.Mayhew is known to have been. Nor will any fuf- peft the truth of what I fay, who are ac- quainted with the friendfhip there was be- tween us. This began upon his fir ft comment cing a Preacher of the Gofpel, and has con- tinued ever fince with mutual efteem, confi- dence and delight. I will therefore " mourn in fecret places", God's " putting far frorn me" fo good a friend, his "-removing fodear an acquaintance into darkncfs". This ma-* lancholly occurrence has, I am ready to think, excited in my breaft like fcnfations of grief with thofe which David felt upon the death of his beloved 'Jonathan ; and I can, with ali fincerity, lament over him in the pungent ex- predlons of his afflicted heart, " I am di \ treffcd for thee, my brother JONATHAN j very plcafant haft thou been unto me". D I MAY, s 6 'A tUNERslL DISCOURSE. I MAY, having obfervcd this, be tho't, in fome meafure, qualified to portray his cha- racter ; tho' in the doing of it, I {hall bere- ligioufly careful neither to flatter the dead, nor deceive the living : And, I think, I fo far know myfelf as to be fure, that I dare not, at fuch a time as this, and in fuch 2 place, attempt a delineation which I did not really believe was righj and juft. " TH E Father of fpirits" was pleafed, in his diftinguifhing goodnefs, to favor Dr. Mayhew with fuperior mental powers. Few furpafled him either in the quicknefs of his apprehenfion, the clearnefs of his perception, the readinefs of his invention, the brightnefs of his imagination, the comprehcnfion of his underloading, or the foundnefs of his judg- ment. And, together with thefe gifts of God, he was endowed with a fingular great- nefs of mind, fortitude of fpirit, and yet foft- nefs and benevolence of temper : all which, being enlarged and Itrengthened by a good education, and the opportunity of free con- verfe with men and books, foon qualified him to make v a confiderable figure in the world ; as he was hereby enabled to {peak and write with that freedom of thought, that juftnefs *A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 27 juftnefs of method,that ftrength of argument, that facility of exprefliori, that livelinefs of fancy, that purity of diction, ad that appa- rent concern for the good of mankind,which procured him a name, both here and abroad, which will-be remembered with honor long after his body is crumbled into duft. It was this that made way for his correfpondence beyond the great waters, which was daily in- crcafing : And, had the wifdom of God feen fit to have continued him in life, it might hare been of great fervice to his country as well as himfelf, if we may judge from what it has already been. HE was eminently a friend to liberty both civil and religious.* And if his zeal, at any time,betrayed him in.to too great afeverity of cxprefljan,it wasagainft the attempts of thofe who would make Haves either of men's fouls D 2 or * Hi s firft printed cTiftourfps were upon the fubject of LIBERTY. His view in them was, to alfert and maintain the R i G H T OF PRIVATE JUDGMENT. Fc\v have wrote more copioufly, more elegantly, or more forccably upon this interring point. If, in ibir-e inftanccs, the Dr's imagination got the better of Ms judgment, betraying him into too warm and fatyrical exprefiions, the candid will be difpofed to make all due allowances, confidering his inexperience of the \vorid, being then hi his youthful days. It was this performance that firll fpread his fame, and rendered him conspicuous as a writer, both here and abroad. 28 ji FUNERAL DISCOURSE. or bodies. He nobly claimed that which he efteemed equally the right of others, the liberty of thinking for himfelf : And he made ufe of all proper helps in order to his thinking right. He freely confulted the writings of men of all perfuafions, not omit- ing to read the works of fyftematical divines, and metaphyfical fchoolmen ; tho' he paid no .regard to any thing he found in them, but in fubferviency to the facred books of fcrip- ture. Thefe he firmly adhered to, as con- taining the revelations of God; making them the one only rule of his religious faith. 44 What faith the fcripture"? was his grand enquiry ; and, as his fentiments as a chriftian and- divine were the refult therefrom, he had the honefty and refolution to preach and publifh the truth in Chrift, according to the apprehenfion he had formed of h. If he differed from fome others in a few points f, they f Two or three ye?.rs ago a pamphlet appeared among us, under the name of an cbfcure perfon without re- putation, wiotu et.Kor by himfclf, or a certain oflici- clous lay-gentleman of his acquair.ti'iice, afhumcd or ' afraid to be kno\\n as its author, in which the Dr, was reprefented as an ene??:\ fs t.'-c v?c?:c?!;cnt l>y Jefns Chrijl. TJie real writer of that piece, whoever he was, knew little of the Dr, or the UYLC rr caning of his works. He mig'ht as \vall have taxed any minifter in the Town or Province upon this head ; for there M r as not one, n v.-lcdge, that was more firm and ftcady ..ih us to this doctrine of the oijjci, He Uwvcr ;aJ U;c ieau doubt about It, rf FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 29 they differed as much frorn him : Nor had they, on this account, any greater right to judge him, than he had to judge them ; tho' he did not prefume to do this, as he tho't, with exact truth and juftice, that we have all one common Lord to whom we are ac- countable, and by whofe judgment ONLY we fhall either (land or fall in the coming great day of try ah HE was an avowed enemy to all human cflablifhments in religion, efpecially the efta- blifhment of meer ceremonial rites as ne- cefTary to chriftian communion. And as he cfteemed this a direct ufurpation of that right which is proper only to Jefus Chrift, the only fupreme head of the chriftian church, it may be an excufe for him, if he has ever expreiTed himfelf with too great a degree of afpcrity upon this head. IT was highly offenfive to him, when he perceived in any an evident breach of truft; efpecially, if the truft related to the thing religion and another world. And as he had upon his mind a clear and full convi<5Hon, in common with many others, that this breach of truft was juftly chargeable upon a certain reipcclable 30 A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. refpeftable focicty at home, tho' they might be led into it thro' repeated mifinformations from their correfpomdents here ; it was this that gave rife to the fevcral pieces he wrote upon this fubjeft; in which he honored hitn- felf, fervcd thefe churches, and prevented the application of much of that charity for the propagation of Epifcopacy, which was in- tended for the propagation of chriftianity. He has received acknowledgments from Eng- land on account of thefe writings, and from fome of the Epifcopal perfwafion, who were fully with him in his fentiments upon the main point he had in view. BESIDES what has been faid, thofe ac- quainted with the Dr. muft have obfefved that manlinefs of Spirit, that friendlincfs of difpofition, that freedom and chearfulnefs of tern per, which rendered him agreable to thofe who had the opportunity of converfing with him. They muft alfo have feen his amiable behaviour in the fcveral relations of life. As a hufband, how faithful and kind ! As a fa- ther, how tender and affeftionatc ! As a Maf- ter, how juft and equal ! knowing that he had a mafter in heaven. As a friend, how true to his profcffions ! with what confidence to A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 31 to be trufted in ! As a neighbour, how ready to all the offices of love and goodnefs ! In- ftead of being deficient, he rather exceeded in the afts of his liberality and charity. As a minifter, how diligent, how laborious, how fkilful ! making it his care to contrive his dif- courfes fo as to inform the mind and touch the heart, fo as at once to entertain and profit both the fcarned and the illiterate, the polite and lefs cultivated hearer. Few were able to compofe their fermons with fo much eafe,and yet fo much pertinence ; and few preached with greater conftancy, or took occafion more frequently frpm occurrences in the con- duel of providence to make what he faid fea- fonable and profitable to his hearers. BUT what is more than all that has been offered, he was, in the judgment of thofe who beft knew him, a man of real piety and true devotion, an upright fincere difciple and fervant of Jefus Chrift. Was it proper to mention the time, manner and circumftances of his becoming pofTeffed of that faith inGod and his Son Jefus Chrift, which purified his heart, and became in him an habitual pow- erful principle of virtuous aftion, I doubt not but even thofc would entertain a good opinion 32 A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. opinion of him as area! chriftian, who may have . been greatly wanting in their candor and charity towards him, becaufe, in fomc 1 points, his tho'ts did not agree with their's. I. have abundant reafon to believe, from what I know of him, that it was his great endeavour to live in all good confcience towards God and man. And fhould I appeal to you, the people of his charge, you would all, I doubt not, rife up and declare his approbation and practice of the " things that were true, ho- ned, juft, pure, lovely and of good report'*. You would appear as witnefTes and (ay, that he had been to you " an example in word, In converfation,in charity, in faith, in purity", and in all thofe other virtues which adorn the chriftian's and the minifter's character : Not that he was without his imperfections and failings. I know he had them, and he- knew it too ; and every one elfe knows that he has many infirmities, who, in any tolerable degree, knows himfelf. But he was uniform and fleady in his regards to the religion of Jefns ; not placing it in " tythes of mint, annie and cummin", but the practice of " the weightier matters of the law, judg- ment, mercy and faith ": Tho', after all, in- ilead of " trufting that he was righteous", in the A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 33 the fcnfe of rigorous law, he efteemed him- felf " an unprofitable fervent", and had his dependance on the mercy of God, thro* the mediation of the only Saviour Jefus Chrifh In this temper he lived, and in the fame tem- per, I believe, he would have died, had k pleafed the alwife, righteous and holy Sove- reign of the world to have permitted the free ufe of his reafonable powers. And he is now, as to his foul or fpirit, we charitably believe, in that invifible world, which was the great object of his hope, and where he will be happy without any mixture of evil forever* You, his dear relatives, entertain this tho't of him ; and while this is your faith, how can you indulge to immoderate grief? Weep you may, but it ought to be for yourfclves, not for him, who is beyond the reach 6f fin and forrow, and has enter'd into the joy of his Lord. WE heartily fympathife with you all ; wifliing you the fupports of grace, and the confolations of God which are not fmall. IT 34 ^4 fUNER^L DISCOURSE. IT is, in fpccial, our hearts defire, that the amiable perfon, left in folitary Widow-hood by the death of a moft tender hufband, may be comforted of God in this day of her trouble. Her cafe is pitiable. We could hot blame her, if, in the agonies of her grief, Ihe ihould break forth in thofe affefting words, " have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O my friends ! For the hand of the Lord has touched me." 'Tis recorded of the blefled Jefus, that he " wept'* over his dead friend Lazarus ; and he will not take it amifs, fhould the paffion of grief be ftirred in you, and vent kfelf in tears, upon the de- parture of him who was " the defire of your eyes", and with whom you lived fo happily, while it pleafed God to continue you together. Only, you muft take care, that you find no fault with your maker for deal- ing thus bitterly with you. And you are difpofed, I believe, and upon the principles of chriftianity, rather to fubmk patiently to the fovereign alwife dominion of God, than to difpute his pleafure. May you be enabled futably to caft this burden on the Lord ! And may you find his " everlafting arms under- neath" to fupport you ! May that glorious Being, who has ftiled himfelf " the widow's God", A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 35 God", pity your diftrcfled cafe, and fend you help and comfort " from his holy dwelling place" ! And let " all the congregation fay, Amen"; and, I doubt not, but they will do it with their whole hearts. WE unite alfo in our prayers to the God of heaven for the Children, fo early in life, bereaved of their earthly father. Wherein could the holyGod have more nearly touched them ? What greater outward good could he have taken from them ? What a guide would he have been to their childhood and youth ? How careful would he have been of their education ? Efpecially, that they might have been fitted to be bleffings in the world, and to do worthily in their generation ? Bur, if their earthly parent would have been good to them, how much more will their father in heaven concern himfelf for their welfare ; taking them under his fpecial guidance, even to death ? Their follickous mother may hope that he will, and it is our ardent prayer that he would : and fhe may be encouraged in her hope, and we in our prayer, from the thought, that God has been pleajed to r. himfelf known under that endearing " the father of orphans'', the God wich F 2 whom $6 A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. whom " the fatherlefs find mercy".- I can- not forbear recommending thefe orphan- children to the compaffionate regards of you, the people of God in this place ; nor can I fuppofe but you will be ready to fhew them Idndnefs in the Lord. I bear you record, you were kindly affectioned to their departed father ; making difcoveries of it in fu table aeh of benevolence. Remember, I befeech you, thefe dear parts of himfelf he has left behind him ; and " to do them good forget not ; for with fach facrifices God will be well p leafed". SUFFER me now to leave with the flock of Chrift, in this place, the following advice ; which, if received in love, and duly pracYifed upon, may, by the divine blcffing, be pro- ijtahle to you* CONSIDER the death of your paftor as bro't about, jn all its circumflanccs, under the over-ruling agency of the alwjfe, righteous, holy and merciful Sovereign of heaven and earth. And let this thought compofe you to filence and fubmifiion. Be dill, and know that he is God. Let npnc dare, fo much as in their hearts, to " i!nd fault" with him* or to A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 37 to fay unto him " what doeft thou"? What he has done is the effect of alwife counfeL - It is beft as it is ; for God has done it. And " who can mend the work which his hand has wrought"? I N Q.U i R E each one of you, wherein you may have had an hand in bringing this evil upon .yourfelves. It may be fome of you enter- tained too exalted thoughts of him, placing an undue dependance on his gifts and talents. In this cafe, God might be difplcafed. It may be, fome of you, inftcad of being wro't upon by the infiructions, counfels and warn- ings, which God difpenfed to you by the mouth of his fervant, flopped your cars, and hardened your hearts, and are to this day going on in your trefpaffes : fhould it be thus with any of you, you have infinite reafon to turn upon yourfelves with the keened reflec- tions. You have flighted, to an high degree of guilt, the miniftry God was pleafed to fet -;> among yoij, and it may be in anger to {Vh of you that he has taken it from you. You cannot therefore better improve this providence than by humbling yourfeivcs be- fore God, and betaking yourfelves to his mercy thro' Chrifl for pardon, in. the exercife of a deep repentance. AND A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. AND you fliould all remember " how you have received, and heard". Often call to mind the great truths, relating to your fouls, and your everlafting falvation, which have been fo ferioufly and preffingly delivered to you from this defk, that you may ftill reap fpirkual advantage from them. " I befeech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jefus Chrift, that, as you have received, of your deceafed paftor, hpw ye ought to walk, fo ye would abound more and more". "Be- ware left, being led away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your ftedfaftneft": But " grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift". "My beloved brethren, be ye ftedfaft, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord ; forasmuch as you have been taught, and know, that your labor is not in vain in the Lord". AND as you are now as fhecp without a ftepherd, it is the hearty prayer of all your friends, that you may not be fcattered ; that God would keep you united in love, and in his own time, which is the beft, direct and lead you into the choice of another paftor, who {hall long live to be a bleffing to you. "BRETHREN A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 39 BRETHREN, I commend you to God, to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are fanftified". I HAVE only to fay, as Dr. Mayhew was a friend to thefe churches, and their able advocate ; efpecially in regard of that " liberty wherewith our Lord Jefus Chrift has made them free ': As he was a friend to the col- lege, and has exerted his powers to my knowledge in defence of its reputation and intereft : And as he was a friend to the coun- try in general, entertaining an high opinion of the more fpecial errand upon which our progenitors came over into this then defolate wildernefs,and hasvigoroufly laid himfelf out in oppofing any defigns that might have been formed to fubvert it : His death, in the vi- gor of his days, and height of his ufeful- nefs, may juftly be efleemed a great and pub- lic lofs, calling for univerfal lamentation. WE may rcafonably cry to God for help, when men of fuch importance are taken out of the world. And we have great encour- agement to do fo, as with him is " the re- fidue of the fpirit", He can raife up, qualify and 40 A FUNERAL DIS :OURSE. and fpirit others to fupply their place, fup- port his caufe, and do yet more worthily for him, in their day and generation. Let us reft our fouls on God as the alone all-fufficient fource of all good. " Now to him who only hath immorta- lity, dwelling in light, which no man can approach to, whom no man hath feen, or can fee ; of whom, thro* whom, and to whom are all things : to him be given all glory and honor, dominion and bleffing,by all creatures In heaven and earth, forever and ever. AMEN, Oil?