I pafs on, 3. To the remaining character fpecified in the text, the faithful.

'This may be confidered with refpect both to GoD and men.

1. They who are truly godly are faithful to GOD.

It is faid of Abraham in Neb. ix. 8. "GOD found his heart faithful before him." He had put truth into his inward parts, and upon his being tried, GOD found him faithful. To be faithful to GoD is to be upright and fincere before him; to live as those who know they are under his eye. Inftead of flattering him with their mouth, and lying to him with their tongue, their heart is right with him, and they are ftedfaft in his covenant. It fuppofes, that they are brought under engagements to be the Lord's, and that they perform their vows. They have a truft committed to them by their heavenly Father, and as good stewards they act as those who must give an account.

2. They are alfo faithful to men.

Where godliness is, there will be honesty. Abhorring diffimulation and falfhood, they can

not

found refreshment and delight-We can i fpare out of "fuch a world as this those who have been fo very ufeful

and ornamental in it." In another are thefe words, "Upon receiving intelligence of Mr Winter's death, I burst "into a flood of tears. I need not inform you how much "I owe to the piety, generofity, affability, and condefcen"tion of your departed brother for the space of more than twenty-five The remembrance of what he was, years. "and what he did, will be dear to me while my powers for recollection are continued."

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Not fpeak with a double heart, as fome are charged with doing in the Pfalm before us. They are men of veracity in their words, and are so just in their dealings, as that it is joy to them to do judgment. If others trick and fhuffle, over-reach and opprefs; enrich themfelves by getting difhoneft gain at the expence of truth and confcience, fo do not they because of the fear of God. They are as faithful in that which is another man's, as in that which is their

own.

Such alfo was the character of our deceased brother. Integrity towards GOD, and uprightness towards men, preserved him. He kept the faith once delivered to the faints; maintained the purity of the great doctrines of the everlasting Gofpel, because he found them in his Bible; he exemplified them in his conversation, and laid himself out to promote and propagate them. For this purpofe being at the head of two refpectable Societies among Proteftant Diffenters for furthering the Gofpel, he quitted himself with reputation and honour-He was also strict to his engagements, punctual in his payments,. exact in his extenfive correfpondence, and difcharged his truft with the greatest fidelity for upwards of thirty years in his civil employment*, and stood high in the efteem of thofe Generals with whom he was connected, as a worthy man, and a valuable friend. This was the teftimony they have borne concerning him.

As an Agent in the Army.

Thus

Thus have I given you fome of the outlines of those important, useful and amiable characters which are mentioned in the text.

But here I muft obferve, as I hinted before, that when they are applied to any mortal man, they must be understood with limitation. The great Apostle Paul defired no one to follow him farther than he followed Chrift. Every godly, liberal and faithful man, having the law of GoD before him, which takes cognizance of the motives and ends of our actions, is conscious to a multitude of errors both in heart and life, which he humbles himself for before GOD; and he is alfo fenfible, that his fellow-creatures may difcern thofe defects and blemishes in his life which he himself does not perceive. After all he has done both towards GoD and men, he will acknowledge that he is an unprofitable fervant, and rely alone on Chrift for acceptance to eternal life.

What I aim at in relating these things (to use the words of the late venerable Mr Bradbury) is, not to offer incenfe to the dead, nor to lay a fnare for the living; but in the words of Scripture, Gal. i. 24. That we glorify God in him who is now departed; that is, that we ascribe the praise to God of whatever gifts and graces, abilities, endowments and excellencies are conferred on any of his fervants.

I come, II. to obferve, What great cause we have to lament the want and deplore the lofs of

fuch

fuch perfons who bear the characters of godly, merciful and faithful.

Here, to allude to Luke ix. 34. is a cloud that overshadows us, not a bright one; but we must enter into the cloud. The Pfalmift fays, The godly man ceafes, and the faithful fail from among the children of men. As it was a time of abounding iniquity among all degrees of people, there were very few to be found who preferved these characters. There was a great want of such men in the land of Ifrael.

The ceafing and the failing of them is to be confidered also as descriptive of their Difjolution. Micah the Prophet, in chapter vii. 2. utters the fame lamentation, "The good man (it is the "fame word as is rendered the godly and mer"ciful man) is perished out of the earth; and "there is none upright among men ;" none in comparison of the wicked. But it may be faid, Has not this been always the cafe fince the world began, that the ungodly have outnumbered the righteous? It has been fo; neverthelefs fome ages have been productive of men eminently good and ufeful, much more than others, whom Providence has fet in a confpicuous ftation. When fuch perfons are reduced to a very few, and are scarcely to be found, this is a matter that will be lamented by all those who have the intereft of religion and of their country at heart. So the Prophet Amos mourns

in chap. vii. 2. "By whom fhall Jacob arife? for he is fmall."

The time will also come, the appointed time when the most godly, liberal and faithful man must so cease and fail, as to be no more in the world. No excellencies exempt from the stroke of death. The fentence is paffed upon all men, for that all have finned. Pfalm xlix. ro. "He "fees that wife men die, likewise the fool, and "the brutish perfon perish." Yet, neither does the foul cease to think; no, nor does the body fail for ever. The doctrines of a future ftate, of a refurrection, and a judgment to come, are revealed in the Scripture as clear as the fun. And concerning the righteous, when they die, we forrow not as thofe that have no hope; for, if we believe that Jefus died and rose again; even fo them alfo that fleep in Jefus will God bring with him. They are no fooner abfent from the body than they are prefent with the Lord; fo that, though the church and the world fuftain a lofs, death is their everlasting. gain. A lofs indeed is fuftained in proportion to their intrinsic worth, and real usefulness to the family, to the church, and to the community at large; and they who tremble for the ark of GOD, and are concerned for the public good will be suitably affected on such a mournful occafion.

When the judgments of GOD are abroad inthe earth, and a dark cloud hangs over a finful kingdom,