2. That it is a system, wisely adapted to promote the prosperity of such Churches.

All the Ends of this Discipline are such as Christians can comprehend and feel: while the means are most happily fitted to ac complish them. Private remonstrance is most wisely calculated to benefit the trespassing brother; to awaken in him a sense of guilt, danger, and the necessity of repentance, and reformation; to preserve his Christian character; and to restore him before he shall be known by others to have fallen. Of the same tendency is the additional remonstrance by the accompanying brethren, and the subsequent admonition by the Church. Of these just, and gentle, proceedings, the final sentence of Excommunication is a proper close; and is perfectly fitted to reform an obstinate brother. He, who will not be won by the mild measures of tenderness, will never feel either his character, or condition, but by dint of distress. Should he continue obstinate in this situation; the Church will be freed from a spot on its reputation, an obstacle to its communion, and a nuisance to the religion which it professes. At the same time, the spirit with which every part of this Discipline is to be administered, and without which it exists in form only, precludes every reasonable fear of haste, injustice, or severity.

The manner also, in which the proper evidence of the offender's disposition is to be obtained, and the prohibition of any further proceeding where it is unattainable, are strong marks of that wis dom in the Lawgiver, by which it was devised. The same wisdom is conspicuous in the repetition of the several steps of the proceeding, and the protraction of the process, in this manner, for a considerable length of time. The most desirable opportunity is here furnished to the offender for consideration, and amendment; and to the Church for coolness in its inquiries, and justice in its decisions. All the parts of the process are also obvious to a very moderate capacity; such as are easily understood by plain men; and easily applied, whether they are to judge, or to be judged. On the whole, it may be justly observed that no system of Judicial proceedings is so happily calculated to accomplish in the most efficacious manner, the purposes, for which it is instituted. Emi nently profitable, and indispensably necessary, to the Christian Church, it is at the same time, an illustrious display of wisdom, goodness, and providential care, in its Divine Founder.

SERMON CLXIII.

DEATH.

PSALM XC. 3.—Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Return, ye children of

men.

IN this series of Discourses, I have considered the Being, and Character, of God; his creation of the Heavens and the Earth, of Angels and Men; the Primitive State of man; his Fall, and Condemnation; their influence on the moral character of his Posterity; and the impossibility of Justification by Works. I have examined the Character, and Mediation, of Christ; and the Justi fication, accomplished by his Righteousness. I have endeavoured to exhibit the Character of the Holy Spirit; his Agency in the work of Regeneration; the Reality, Necessity, and Nature, o that work; together with its Antecedents, Attendants, Consequences, and Evidences. I have attempted to explain the Divine Law, and the principal Duties which it requires; together with the Foundation, the Nature, and the Effects of Virtue, the true and only obedience to it; and the nature of that Inability to obey it, which is an important characteristic of man; and the means of our restoration to Obedience. I have also investigated the means of obtaining, and the means of increasing, grace; the manner in which, and the Persons by whom, they are to be employed. In the course of this investigation, I have endeavoured to explain the Constitution of the Christian Church; the character, and duties of its Members, and Officers; the Nature of its Sacraments; and the scheme of its Discipline.

In the progress of these Discourses, I have also stated, and endeavoured to obviate, the principal Objections, usually brought against that System of Theology, which I believe to be revealed in the Scriptures.

Thus have I gone through the consideration of the great articles, contained in the Spiritual Providence of God, as disclosed in the Gospel; and conducted Man through life, to the last act of that Providence, with which he is concerned in the present world; the act by which he is removed into Eternity.

This great and gloomy Event is in the text, ascribed directly to the Providence of God; and exhibited, not as the result of a natural and necessary decay, nor of a general tendency of things, but of His sovereign pleasure. Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Return, ye children of men. Thou art the Agent in bring

ing man to death, and the grave; and by thy command, returnest him to his original dust. All the natural causes of Death, therefore, are only modes, and means, of its accomplishment by the Hand of God.

A multitude of considerations necessarily strike the mind of him, who makes this subject the theme of his serious attention. Of this number are,

Its Uncertainty with regard to the time, manner, and circum stances;

The Causes, by which it is brought to pass; and,

The Impossibility of escaping or resisting it; Together with many other things, deeply solemn, and capable of being eminently useful

to mankind.

But it is my design to consider Death, on this occasion, merely as a part of the great system of Providential Dispensations towards the children of men; as the Event, by which they are removed out of their present state of being; as the close of their Probation, and their introduction into Eternity.

It is manifest, that some removal from this world, is a necessary part of such a System. A Probation involves in its nature a close. It infers a Trial at that close, by which the character of the man, who has gone through the Probation, shall be finally settled, as good or evil, as acquitted, or condemned. It supposes, also, a Reward, suited to his conduct, and intended to recompense it with absolute propriety.

This close, so far as we can understand the subject, must be either painful or pleasant, disgraceful or honourable, according to the conduct of the persons concerned. If their conduct be supposed to have been virtuous, obedient, and pleasing to God; the end of their trial we should naturally expect to be pleasing, and honourable; and a proof of his approbation of their character. If their conduct be supposed to have been evil, and displeasing to God; a painful and disgraceful termination of this state of their existence would be rationally expected. The views, which he formed of their conduct, we should naturally expect him to express at their removal from the world.

In this world, good men are continually surrounded by spiritual enemies, or enemies to their virtue and final welfare. These enemies, it is to be supposed, will on every occasion attempt to lessen their happiness, and increase their sufferings. The close of life furnishes the last opportunity for this purpose. This period, therefore, these enemies must be expected to seize with eagerness, in order to annoy them so far as they are permitted.

The best of men, also, have sinned often, and greatly; and have thus merited great evils at the hand of God. Hence, with

the strictest propriety, they may suffer greatly at this, as well as at other seasons. No reason can be assigned, why their enemies may not be permitted to disturb them, therefore, in the article of Death.

Their own minds also may, for important purposes, be left at this time to the distresses, arising from the remembrance of their former sins, and from perplexing thoughts concerning their spiritual condition. Hence various doubts may arise, and anxieties be multiplied. The terrors of Death may encompass them, and the pains of hell, of Sheol, or "adns; that is, in plainer language, the fears of what will befall them in the world of departed spirits; may lay hold on them. Especially will all this seem easy of apprehension, if we remember, that these things may, and will, be in the end benefits to them, through the agency of Him, who is able to bring good out of evil. In this manner may the distresses, sometimes suffered by good men at death, be sufficiently explained.

Wicked men, on the contrary, are often totally careless concerning all moral and religious subjects, unconcerned about their present or future condition, and indifferent alike to the favour, and the frowns, of their Maker. This heedless spirit they sometimes carry with them to a dying-bed; and, under its influence, are equally stupid, as in the preceding periods of life. On this account it is to be expected, that such men should, at times, have no bands in their death. Disease, also, often weakens their capacity of thinking; and prevents them from coming to any just conclusions concerning their past conduct, their present state, and their future allotments. Frequently, too, they labour to make a virtue of necessity, to resign themselves quietly to the death, which they see they cannot avoid, and to submit to that God, whom they now feel themselves unable to resist. This, they frequently mistake for Christian resignation; although totally unlike it in every important characteristic; and, under the influence of this mistake, sometimes leave the world with a degree of composure.

Nor is it unreasonable to believe, that these things are the result of a Judicial Dispensation of God. We know, that He has given up men judicially to strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. In what case can such a Dispensation be supposed with more propriety, than in that of gross, long-continued, and obstinate, sin, perpetrated by a heart, hardening itself in iniquity through life. Such a heart certainly may with propriety be permitted to deceive itself, at any time during its probation: and this deception may, foraught that appears, be enhanced by its external enemies. Evil men often deceive, and flatter with false hopes, their dying companions. No reason can be given, why the same mischievous office may not be performed by other evil beings..

To these things it ought to be added, that such men have, in several instances, died in alarm and horror; when, from the pains taken to conceal the circumstances of their death, they may have

been supposed to leave the world in peace. There is a general disposition in mankind, to think and speak favourably of the dy ing, and the dead. In this solemn case, even personal hatred is apt to give way to compassion; and every prejudice to be lost in concern for him, who now ceases to be either our enemy, or our rival. Often, also, we speak favourably of deceased persons from compunctions of conscience; from a desire to be thought candid, and kind; because they were our relations, or friends; or because they were of the same party, or sect, with ourselves. Frequently we make the case our own; wishing, and, under the influence of our wishes, believing, that their exit may be hopeful and safe, because we are of a similar character, and may, in this case, die hopefully also. Infidels, particularly, have often taken great pains to persuade the world, that their fellow-Infidels died with serenity; and, when their last moments have been embittered by remorse, and terror, have concealed this fact with every ingenious and la borious effort. No man can mistake the reason of this conduct. The acknowledgment that these persons died in fear and anguish, would convince every man, that they doubted of the doctrines, which they professed to believe; and were afraid that the Scriptures were still of Divine origin, and that thus Infidelity would receive a wound, which could not be healed. Several instances of this nature have been disclosed to the world; and have furnished strong reasons to believe, that, if the whole truth were discovered, many more would be found.

These considerations, taken together, prove beyond debate, that the serenity, whether assumed or pretended, with which wicked men are supposed to die, is false, and hollow; on the one hand, the mere result of ignorance, or stupidity; on the other, a veil employed to cover either from themselves, or their fellow-men, the real state of their minds at death. From this source, therefore, no good can be augured for them; and no support warrantably gained by their impenitent survivors.

With these things premised, I observe,

I. That Death is accomplished by the hand of God.

Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, return, ye children of men. Thus it was threatened to our first Parents, and to their Posterity. It was threatened, and executed, as the reward of sin. Its universal execution is, therefore, a decisive proof of the universality of sin.

II. Death is a direct, and strong, expression of the views, which God entertains concerning the character of man.

This remarkable Event is a part of the Providence of God, and the result of an immediate act of Him alone; a fact, in which his hand is seen, and his pleasure expressed. It is, therefore, a direct expression of the views, which he forms of the human character. That we should leave the world in some manner, or other, may not unnaturally be regarded as a necessary event in the Providen