stance of more evident growth in real obedience, real love to God and man, real victory over natural infirmities, in a word, real Christian holiness. In the concluding years of his life, he was, as it appeared to me, obviously ripening for heaven. He had fought a good fight, he had finished his course, he had kept the faith; so that at last his genuine humility before God, his joy in Christ Jesus, his holy zeal for the diffusion of the Gospel, his tender affection to his family and all around him, his resignation to the will of his heavenly Father, and his exclusive trust in the merits and grace of his Saviour, seemed to leave little more to be done, but for the stroke of death to bring him to his grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in its season".

Such was the character of our departed friend. The consideration of the remaining topics which the text suggests, and to which I proposed to advert, must be deferred to a second discourse.

514

SERMON II..

2 TIMOTHY, IV. 6-8.

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought à good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

WE

E proceeded so far in our former discourse, as to close the review of the public and private character of the venerable person whose death we are considering. We are now,

2. To mention some particulars of his departure to a heavenly state.

During several years preceding the event itself, his bodily infirmities had been gradually increasing. His strength and natural spirits at times sensibly failed. His own impression was that his departure was approaching, and he contemplated it with the calmness and tranquillity which I have already noticed as being implied in the first clause of my text. He preached

more than once from the words of St. Peter, with an evident reference to his own case, Knowing that I must shortly put off this my tabernacle. He said to me, about two years since, "I feel nature giving way; I am weary of my journey, and wish to be at home, if it be God's will;" meaning that he desired to depart and to be with Christ". The nearer he came to the time of his dismissal, he became the more earnest in prayer, that God would uphold him during the scenes of suffering and trial which might await him before his last hour, expressing at the same time the deepest conviction of his own weakness and unworthiness, and his constant need of divine mercy. He had been particularly anxious during the entire period of his ministry to be preserved from dishonouring his holy profession; and now, as life wore away, he became more and more fervent in prayer for grace that he might not say or do any thing that should lessen the weight of what he had previously taught and written. The last discourse which I heard him deliver, he concluded nearly in these words: "My brethren, pray for me. Do not pray for me, as if my life were to be continued, or as if I were a minister of any attainments or consequence in the Church; but pray for me as a poor weak frail sinner, who has

not yet done with temptation and conflict, and who finds it difficult to be patient in tribulation, and cheerful under long-continued weakness and suffering. I need much the prayers of all my friends; but most of all I need the supporting grace of God, that I may be carried through all my remaining trials, and may at length finish my course with joy 3."

He was also very solicitous to admonish his younger brethren, and animate them to zeal and activity. In this he further resembled the blessed Apostle whose words we have been considering. In the sermon from which the above extract was taken, he said, "My brethren in the ministry, I turn to you, I know I cannot say to you absolutely as St. Paul did, I shall see your face again no more; but I think it most probable I never shall, I have no right to speak to you. I need to be exhorted myself. But I cannot but express the joy I feel in once more addressing you, and I pray God to strengthen me this once in speaking to you. I ought not perhaps to speak of myself; but as an old man, I may say it has long been my earnest desire to encourage and strengthen my younger brethren by every means in my power. I rejoice that the number of those

3 June 25, 1818, in a discourse addressed to a private society of ministers, of which I took down the substance in short-hand.

who preach and live Christ crucified is so greatly increased. My prayer is, that while I decrease, they may increase in number, wisdom, courage, meekness, disinterestedness, heavenly-mindedness and zeal, a thousand fold, they and their children. I would wish to encourage you now this last time. I would I could say more in the spirit of the Apostle, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Beware, O beware, my brethren, of blotting your ministry, and dishonouring it by your inconsistent spirit or conduct. A holy life is the minister's strength. And if you lost your time in early life, before you knew the grace of God, redeem it now by walking circumspectly, because the days are evil. Alas! in my own case, though I have been now serving God so long, yet I served sin almost as long before I began. It is almost two and forty years since God of his mercy brought down my stubborn heart to true repentance. The first sermon I preached afterwards was from Gal. iii. 22, But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that