excepting the most vicious and profligate, no not the most abandoned publicans and harlots, robbers and murtherers. To conclude,

7. Let this forrowful fcene excite us to fecure, without delay, our perfonal interest in the Lord Jefus Chrift, that death, in the most fudden moment, or in the most violent form, may find us ready.

This is the indifpenfible duty, and the highest happiness of every individual among us. To this we are urged by the worth and excellency of our fouls; by the frailties, diseases and totterings of our mortal tabernacles; by the vanities of earthly good; by the nearness and certainty of death, but the uncertainty of the time when we are to die, by all the infinitely important realities of the eternal world; by every divine perfection and promife; by all the awful and lovely name and offices of our heavenly Father, our Saviour, and our Sanctifier; and by our strict account, which it is impoffible for us to avoid giving up, before the tremendous bar of the univerfal judge. While ten thousand motives present themselves, to follicit our immediate and earnest attention to this one thing needful, they may all be properly confidered, as either expreffed, or implied, in that faithful counfel of our ever adorable and infinitely compaffionate Lord, when he fays, Watch, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Be ye ready, for in fuch an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.

k

This,

* Mat. xxiv. 42, 44.

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This, we hope, was the readiness of Mr. Beft, for his fudden and violent death. In that dif treffing moment, we hope, he was found in Christ, because it had long been his chief defire and labour that he might win Chrift. We hope, that to him to live was Chrift, and confequently that to him to die was gain. We hope, he is fuddenly entered on that glory, for which thro' grace he was many years preparing; and that he is now reaping the bleffed fruits of all his repentance and faith, his watching and praying, his felf-denial and circumfpect walking, his divine love and holy obedience.

Could Mr. Best now offer his parting advice to each of us, O, how earnestly would he call upon us, and entreat us, not to live one day longer, without having a well-grounded hope, that we are reconciled to GOD, that our fins are pardoned, thro' the blood of the Lord Jefus Chrift; that our hearts and lives are fanctified by the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit; and that we are looking are looking and labouring more for things eternal than temporal, for heaven than earth, for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, than for the meat which perisheth!

Could Mr. Beft once more give counfel to his fons, how would every word be mingled with his tears and blood! After all his comfort in them, and all his hopes concerning them; yet to be fo violently torn from their embraces, and fo abruptly to leave them, encompaffed with dangers and enemies, how would love and zeal, death and eternity, give fuch life to every expreffion, as they never were confcious to before; tho'

tho' the fame fentiments had been repeated to them a thousand times! How would he importunately befeech, and folemnly charge them, ftill to flee from the wrath to come, by flying to the Lord Jefus Chrift! How vehemently would he warn them against an enfnaring world, against the company and converfation of the ungodly, against every thing that hardens the heart, ftifles convictions, or puts death and eternity at a distance! With what ferioufnefs would he recommend a life of converfe with God, in devout meditation and prayer! How would he ftrive, with all his might, to increase their love to GoD and Chrift, ftrengthen their refolutions for ftrict godlinefs, fix their attention, more than ever, to the word of GOD, and join them in clofer and more intimate friendfhip with the people of GOD! How would all the bowels of a father yearn over them, and every tender, melting confideration be urged with them, to let brotherly love continue, and to their utmost to be helpful to one another in all their temporal concerns, but efpecially in thofe which belong to their fouls and eternity.

Never, I verily believe, have four brothers, in the maturity of manhood, and under heavy affliction, felt more tenderly, or lamented more affectionately. Your very fouls, my dear friends, have been all poured out over fuch a father, and fuch a death. You have thoufands who pity you, and mourn with you, and for you; tho' fuch an univerfal fympathy is absolutely unable to heal your wounded hearts, or even wipe away your tears. But you have one confolation in referve. If four fuch brothers fhall perfeveringly walk as the fons of GOD, as the

heirs

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heirs of Heaven, as joint heirs with Jefus Chrift, then all your weeping will end in rejoicing, your dear Father will meet you again with fongs of triumph; millions of angels and faints will rejoice in you, and rejoice with you, thro' a glorious eternity. May GoD of his infinite mercy grant this thro' Jefus Chrift! Amen.

THE

THE

NARRATIV E.

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R. Francis Beft, whofe parents were perfons of ferious piety, was born at Kidderminster, November 27, 1703, in the next morning after the great wird. At his death he wanted five months to compleat his fixtyeighth year. Tho' he was fo far advanced in life, yet he ftill retained a large measure of ftrength and activity.

The

For many years he had been accustomed to walk from his own houfe, at Cald-wall-Mill, near Kidderminster, to Bewdley-Market, every Saturday, about three measured Miles, in a publick and very pleasant foot-path. On the eighth of June, 1771, being Saturday morning, he went from his own houfe as ufual, about half after nine. His way to Bewdley led through a field, where a thick hedge on his right hand concealed from him the view of another and more frequented foot-path that lay through an adjoining field; both which paths foon after unite. In the faid field he was about mid-way between Kidderminster and Bewdley, and upon ground fo much elevated, as to have an extenfive profpect of the furrounding country. Murtherer was met between that and Kidderminster, by a man coming from Bewdley, but a little while before Mr. Beft came thither. There, it appears, the Murtherer lingered, till Mr. Beft had paffed him, and then immediately following Mr. Beft, knocked him down with the ftroke of a thick oak bludgeon, on the back part of his head. It nevertheless appears, that Mr. Beft got hold of the bludgeon, nor could the Murtherer recover the full command of it till he had cut Mr. Beft's hand with a knife, and then, after repeating his blows, he cut his throat. He took out of Mr. Beft's breeches pockets, it is thought, about twelve pounds; but miffed fixty guineas, that were in a canvas bag in his waistcoat pocket; for

E

Mr.