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but the time is not come yet. When will the time come ! when will the time come! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! The last enemy is death; and it is hard work to die: The agonies of dissolving nature are hard: But I know death to me is a conquered enemy. Christ has taken away its sting: I am ready to enter upon this last conflict now, if it be the will of God."

Much the same frame, I understand, continued through the last week of her life: And when death evidently came upon her, she expressed her satisfaction in it. And when she was unable to communicate her mind to those that stood by her, was heard to utter some broken and imperfect sentences; such as, Heavenly Father! I commit my soul, &c. She breathed out her soul, I doubt not, into the arms of her Saviour, on Thursday, the 8th of February, 1770, about noon; and is now inheriting those promises, in heaven, which were the support and delight of her soul, while here on earth. Thus she lived, and thus she died.

If my saying so much about her, needs an apology, I can truly say, I have not done it from a desire to compliment the dead, or flatter the living. Funeral characters are often disagreeable. But the person I have been speaking of, appeared to me, such a wonderful instance of vital piety and practical godliness, as I was hardly ever acquainted with before: And therefore I think I ought to speak of it, to the honor of God's grace, and for the encouragement of others, to be followers of her, so far as she followed Christ.

I mean not to represent her as a perfect pattern. I have been acquainted with few Christians who have appeared more deeply affected with, and more ready to own, their sinful imperfections, and unworthiness. When, to intimate Christian friends, she declared what God had done for her soul, it seemed to be, purely to magnify the riches of divine grace, to a poor unworthy creature; and to encourage others to trust in the same grace.

And now to conclude.-How lovely doth such a Christian appear, in life, and death! Who would not desire to live such a life, and to die such a death! Let the posterity of our deceased friend consider the privilege they have enjoyed, in having such a parent, and grandparent. This is a privilege, of which you must give an account to Him, from whom you received it. If any of you continue in sin, notwithstanding all the encouragement and help for religion, which you have enjoyed, by her instruction and example, how great will be your guilt? We hope these advantages will not be lost upon you. We hope numerous important blessings will descend upon you, in answer to the many fervent, believing prayers, which she was daily offering up to the throne of grace for you.

And how solicitous should we all be, my brethren, to be followers of such eminent saints; who through faith and patience inherit the promises? Their examples should quicken us to strive after high attainments, in the Christian life. Let us not be slothful in our Lord's work. We have the same objects of faith, which they had. We have the same "Author and Finisher of faith," to apply to, to begin, to carry on, and to perfect this and every other grace and virtue, in us. Upon Him let our hope and trust be firmly fixed herefor, in the diligent use of all appointed means of grace. Let us "give all diligence to add to our faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity. For if these things be in us, and abound, they make us, that we shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful, in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ-And so an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ:" to whom be glory, for ever and ever. AMEN.

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"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine."-2 7'im. iv. 2.

"Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine."-1 Tim. v. 17.

BOSTON, N. E.:

PRINTED BY RICHARD DRAPER, IN NEWBURY STREET.

SERMON.

1 THESS. V. 12, 13.

"And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them highly in love for their work's sake: And be at peace among yourselves."

THESE words are an affectionate address of the apostle Paul to the Christian church and society at Thessalonica: Hereby he taught them the respect which they owed to the ministers of Christ; the reasons of which respect are taken from their office and labors.

This passage of Scripture, therefore, may properly lead me to speak of the duties of Christ's ministers among the people of their charge; which are here expressed by-laboring among thembeing over them in the Lord-and admonishing them. And also of the regards which a people owe to their ministers, who perform these duties; expressed by-knowing them-and esteeming them highly in love for their work's sake. According to this division of the words, I shall endeavor farther to explain them, on this

occasion.

I shall in the first place, consider what the words contain of a minister's duty and office in relation to the people of his charge. Three phrases, as I observed before, are used to express these. First, Laboring among them, which may principally intend his public labors, in preaching the gospel to them. Secondly, Being over them in the Lord, which may point at the exercise of that authority vested in him, for the due government and discipline of the church. Thirdly, Admonishing them, which may refer principally to those private counsels, admonitions, and reproofs, which he must address to particular persons among his people, as occasion may require. Each of these may be distinctly considered and explained.

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