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He felt more and more satisfied, that in his religious charities he had been directed by the Spirit of God, and had done what he should rejoice in forever. He frequently expressed a hope, that his beloved Seminary would become far more extensively useful, than he at first conceived; that it would be the means not only of doing good to the churches in this country, but of spreading the gospel among distant heathen nations. Often, when contemplating the Institution in this light, did he turn his thoughts upon himself, and say, with every token of humility and tenderness,"I am astonished, that God should make use of such a poor creature as I am, to do this great work.”

In the chamber of sickness, frequent prayer was his delight and refreshment. He seemed more and more perfectly to resign himself to the will of his Father in heaven. He was tired of sin; though not tired of living in God's world; nor was he tired of laboring and suffering for God. "I desire to live," he often said, "if God has anything more for me to do or to suffer.' His cheerful patience, meekness, and resignation, together with the uniform and regular exercise of his reason, rendered his sickness very edifying to his Christian friends.

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When he came near to his home, he showed increasing desires after God, saying repeatedly -"there is enough in God;-I want nothing but God." Just before his speech failed, he was asked, whether he could say "whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth I desire beside thee; "Yes," he answered very feelingly" with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind." At times he felt a joy, almost too intense for his feeble body to sustain, at the thought of being forever with the Lord, and seeing him face to face.

With the mourning Widow the hearts of many most tenderly sympathize. In the midst of her grief she will not forget to thank God that, for more than fifty years she was blessed with a consort, who was an example of conjugal love and tenderness. May she be enabled to glorify God by pious resignation; and by continuing to walk in the steps of her inestimable friend, now sleep

ing in death. May her heart be cheered by the hope of meeting him in heaven. While she remains in this world of sorrow may the God of all grace and comfort grant her his pres

ence.

This dispensation of providence imposes a sacred duty on all who are connected with this Seminary—the surviving Founders, Visitors, Trustees, Professors, and Students. We ought to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We ought to praise the Giver of all good, for raising up such a benefactor, such a distinguished pattern of Christian beneficence. Above all, we ought to consider and fix in our minds, what was his object in his benefactions to this Seminary, and in what manner he has directed us to pursue that object. His death ought to be a new excitement to the faithful discharge of all our duties relative to this Sacred Institution. If we overlook his great object, disregard his directions, misapply his charity; and forget his love of union and peace, we shall be guilty of trampling his honor in the dust. If we do this, how can we meet him at the Judgment seat of Christ?

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Beloved hearers, a man of God has been among you, divine grace shown you how to use this world, how to live, and how to die. I beseech you by his many exertions, sacrifices, and prayers for your good; by the piety and usefulness of his life; by his meekness and comfort in sickness; and by the rest, which we doubt not he now enjoys in God; and I beseech you by the meeting you must have with him before the tribunal of Christ -by all these considerations, I earnestly beseech you, to remember the character of that godly man, to make a thankful and pious use of his bounties, and diligently walk in his steps; and above all, to love and imitate his chosen Saviour, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.

SERMON

DELIVERED. AT THE FUNERAL OF REV. SAMUEL SPRING, D. D., MARCH 9, 1819, IN NEWBURYPORT.

1 Thess. 5: 13. — AND TO ESTEEM THEM VERY HIGHLY IN LOVE FOR THEIR WORK'S SAKE.

THE Apostle Paul showed the highest respect for the ministers of Christ, and inculcated it, as the duty of all Christians, highly to esteem and love them. But he did not demand this peculiar regard for Christian teachers, because they were men of distinguished gifts, nor even because they were good men; but for their work's sake. It was on account of the dignity and usefulness of their office.

I know not, my respected hearers, how I can more effectually excite the reverence and love, which are due to that excellent minister, whose death we deplore, and give a right direction to the sorrow which fills your hearts, than by describing briefly the usefulness of that sacred office which he sustained. This is my particular object. Accordingly, although I am called on this occasion to honor the memory of one of the dearest friends that I ever had on earth, I shall aim to excite no veneration or love for him, except what is due on account of the holy office which he filled, and the manner in which he performed its duties.

Turn your thoughts, then, to the usefulness of a faithful minis

ter of Christ. Consider him as a teacher of divine truth. This is the most obvious and most important view of the Christian minister's work. He publishes the word of God. He is the grand medium of communicating to the world the knowledge of the true religion. A sober examination of facts and of the nature of the case will show, that there is no way of keeping up, to any good purpose, the knowledge of divine truth in the world, but by the labor of Christ's ministers. Now it is through divine truth, that sinners are converted and saved. This is "the incorruptible seed," of which they are "born again." And it is the work of the Christian minister to make known this divine truth, to plant this incorruptible seed. And thus he becomes an active instrument in the salvation of sinners. And consider for a moment the value of salvation. Consider what it would be for one of you to perish forever!-for an immortal soul to be perpetually under the dominion of the most malignant, tormenting passions! What would it be for you, with all your faculties and sensibilities awake, to see yourself abhorred of God; to be cast away from his presence; to know by your own wretched experience, what is that indignation and wrath which he will render to his enemies, and how unspeakably precious that salvation must be, which implies deliverance from this everlasting misery!— Consider too what is the positive good implied in salvation; what it is to be adorned with divine grace; to bear the image of Christ; and after being made perfect in holiness, to dwell where Jesus is, and be forever filled with all his fulness. What would it be for you, a single child of Adam, to be delivered from all this misery, and raised to the enjoyment of all this blessedness! And how great would be the usefulness of the sacred office, if ministers should be successful in bringing all this eternal blessedness upon you alone! But this good is to be conferred upon thousands and millions. The kingdom of Christ will contain a great multitude which no man can number, of those who have been redeemed from among men. And the infinite good enjoyed by this kingdom of grace, is effected chiefly through the agency of ministers. Whatever is desirable and excellent

in the holiness of the saints on earth or in heaven; whatever is precious in their everlasting joys, is related to the holy office of Christ's ministers, and is an illustration of its incomparable usefulness.

Thus far I have considered the sacred office in one comprehensive view. I might descend to many particulars. For in fact, Christians obey the divine precepts, grow in knowledge and grace, find strength and support in their trials, are faithful and useful, and become prepared for heaven, under the influence of those divine truths which it is the business of the ministry to inculcate. And do not Christians, who are deprived of the advantages of ministerial labor, generally exhibit symptoms of a dark, low, pining state?

The scheme of truth contained in the Bible, makes known the perfections of God and the principles of his government, vindicates his character and administration from the reproaches of a wicked world, illustrates his infinite grace in redemption, and points to a future state of retribution, where his glory will shine forth with ever-increasing splendor. Wherever this scheme of divine truth is faithfully declared, the character of God is placed in an honorable and glorious light. Where it is not declared, the divine glory is obscured. The manner, therefore, in which the character of God is likely to be regarded in the world, depends very much upon the agency of Christian ministers.

Is it important that social and civil order should be supported; that sound morality should prevail; and that mankind, delivered from violence and cruelty, should live in peace? Just so important is it, that the servants of Christ should faithfully preach the truths of revelation. For it is by the influence of those truths on the minds of men, that the violence of their passions is restrained, and those moral principles established, which are the basis of social and civil order. All that gives to Christian society superiority over the society of pagans, is owing, under God, to the influence of the teachers of religion. Only let the ambassadors of Christ cease to preach the truths of religion, and what would be the condition of the fairest part of the world one 20

VOL. V.

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