was every where felt. His faithful labors and fervent prayers brought rich blessings upon all with whom he was connected. And all who love the prosperity of the church, and the welfare of the human family, have reason to praise the Most High God, that he raised up such a man among us; that he endued him with such inward goodness, and such qualifications for usefulness, and continued his precious life so long. And whenever our eyes are permitted to behold a man and a gospel minister so moulded and guided by the Holy Spirit, and so like Christ as he was; we will bless God for the precious gift.

row.

Will you now bear with the preacher, while he says a word for himself on this mournful occasion? I would not cease to thank God that, after death has removed far from me the greater part of those with whom I was most intimately associated in former years, there are still continued to me so many beloved brethren and fellow-laborers. But in vain do I look for one, with whom I have had such an uninterrupted and entire friendship for so many years, as I enjoyed with this excellent brother. My acquaintance with him commenced in my youth, almost half a century ago. From that time our friendship continued and increased. We rejoiced in each other's prosperity; and we passed together, with sympathizing hearts, through many scenes of trial and sorAbout twenty-five years ago, I was called to stand in this place and minister to the consolation of my afflicted brother, then suddenly bereaved of the wife of his youth. The example of his peaceful submission on that occasion, and in other times of affliction, I cannot forget. I reckon it among the choicest blessings of my life, that I had such a friend and brother. How many times did his conversation and his prayers help to chase away the dark clouds which had gathered over my head! Whenever any burden pressed heavily upon me, and I felt myself ready to sink, a desire to see my brother Church always sprung up in my heart; and a visit from him never failed to encourage and strengthen me, and either to remove the burden, or to help me cheerfully to bear it. I never knew a man whose temper was more sweet and tranquil than his, or whose heart was more free from everything

contrary to love, or whose tongue was guided more entirely by the law of kindness.

I cannot but consider it an inestimable privilege, that I was permitted to visit that good man a short time before his death. During that last happy hour which I spent with him, he conversed with perfect clearness and great freedom on a variety of most interesting subjects. Do you ask how he appeared on his dying bed? He appeared just as every one who knew him thought that he would appear. I presume there was no man acquainted with the manner of his life, who did not expect that his end would be peace. And so it was. On his dying bed, he had a penitent heart and a contrite spirit. He said, with evident tenderness, that he looked upon himself as a poor, unworthy, sinful man. But he was filled with admiration at the goodness of God. He felt then, as he had so long felt before, that he depended for salvation on God's sovereign grace; he felt this as really as he did when he first called upon the almighty Saviour for the life of his soul. In that last scene his faith rested directly on its great object. His peace, and hope, and joy were derived, not from what he saw in himself— though he had satisfactory evidence of his piety,but from what he saw in Christ his infinite love, his inexhaustible fulness. He gave thanks to God that he had been directed of late, more than formerly, to meditate on the glory of Christ. He spoke of the precious books he had read within the last year or two, referring particularly to Owen on the Glory of Christ, Stevenson on the Offices of Christ, Good's Better Covenant, and Dickinson's Letters. He repeatedly expressed a strong desire that ministers, and those who are preparing for the ministry, might know more of the preciousness of Christ, and might more fully declare his unsearchable riches to others. He wanted Christ to be more honored. He said, in a very solemn impressive manner, that he had fears there were some ministers who had never been born again. And he wished all ministers to feel that they constantly needed the grace of Christ. He expressed a lively interest in the welfare of our Theological Seminary, and said he should be glad, if it might be the will of God, to visit it once

more. He said, too, there were several things he had designed to do for the cause of Christ; but he was willing to leave it with God to determine whether he should live to do them or not. It was indeed a happy thing to be near such a servant of Christ, when he was so near to heaven. And now, whatever may be my lot in earthly things, the Lord grant unto me that I may live as that dear brother lived, and die as he died!

The bereaved children will, I trust, mingle gratitude and joy with their sorrows. Render hearty thanks to God that he manifested such kindness and grace towards your honored father, and impressed upon him so visibly the image of the meek and lowly Jesus. Thank God that you have so long enjoyed his counsels, his example, and his prayers. These are all treasured up in your minds; a rich inheritance, far better than any earthly possession. I know how solitary that beloved home will be to you, where neither father nor mother can any more be found; and what a feeling of loneliness and sadness will steal into your minds after these funeral services are past. But the grace of God will be sufficient for you. Through the aids of his Spirit cultivate that sweet serenity of mind, that pious cheerfulness, and that diligent attention to all the branches of duty, which you have seen exemplified in your honored father. Remember that it is an act of love for the Lord Jesus to call his servants home, that they may be where he is. Your father was one of the happiest men I ever knew. He had a peculiar delight in the word of God and in the manifestations of his goodness in the present life. so peaceful and happy in this world, how exquisite ness be in the presence of Him whom his soul loved. What joy swells his heart, to see Jesus face to face, to be wholly freed from sin, and to be filled with all the fulness of God!

And if he was must his happi

DELIVERED AT THE FUNERAL OF MRS. PHEBE FARRAR, WIFE OF SAMUEL FARRAR, ESQ., ANDOVER, JAN. 26, 1848.

John 17: 24.-FATHER, I WILL THAT THEY ALSO WHOM THOU HAST GIVEN ME, BE WITH ME, WHERE I AM.

It has been common for men everywhere to paint to themselves a heaven corresponding with their governing inclinations. The covetous, the ambitious, the sensual, all aspire suited to gratify their predominant desires. same. They aspire after a happiness which is

after a happiness Christians do the

rational and pure Even if they had

a heaven suited to their rectified nature. less particular instruction than the Scriptures give in regard to the happiness to be enjoyed-if they only knew and loved the unseen Saviour and were only informed that they are hereafter to enjoy complete felicity, they would, I think, have an apprehension of the nature of that felicity, which would harmonize with the teachings of inspiration. What could they regard as complete happiness, but to enjoy that Saviour whom they supremely love? When we leave this earthly state, they would say let us go to him who loved us and died for us. Let us be with Jesus. This is all our salvation and all our desire. This was the idea of the Apostle Paul. He speaks of a desire to depart, and to be with

Christ. He speaks of being absent from the body and present with the Lord; and of seeing Christ face to face. This was his prevailing sentiment. And this was also the sentiment of John, who represents heaven as a place where believers will see Christ as he is. And we have the most perfect and delightful expression of this idea from Christ himself. "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." The apostles dwelt familiarly upon this view of the subject. And so it is with all those who have received their ideas of heaven from the sacred writers, and have imbibed the spirit of our holy religion. To be with Christ is the heaven of Christians. It is all the heaven they desire. It comprises everything that is necessary to constitute the perfection of celestial happiness.

In the first place, Christians in the presence of Christ, have an object before them possessed of all possible excellence — an object suited to employ and gratify all their intellectual and moral faculties, and to fill the capacities of their souls.

How happy must believers in heaven be, to see in their Saviour the highest perfection of human nature. They were once conversant with that nature in a fallen, degraded state, robbed of its proper excellence, and displaying itself in numberless forms of vileness and hatefulness. But now when they look upon Jesus, their elder brother, they see what humanity is capable of. They gaze with inexpressible pleasure, upon the exalted manhood of Jesus. And they delight in it the more, because they themselves are human, and they behold in him the exact standard to which they are to be conformed. He was always without sin-holy, harmless, undefiled. But while on earth, his character was little known. Even his disciples had but an imperfect discernment of it. But now his glory shines perpetually. And the saints love to behold it, and in the light of his glorified humanity they love to forget all that was low and weak and faulty in their fellow Christians and in themselves, and to fix their eyes upon one in their own nature, adorned with the perfection of beauty. This excellence and loveliness of Christ's human nature must be peculiarly attractive to the saints, and must bring them into a state of near