SERM. XLSII.] DEATH A. BLESSING TO THE SAINTS. 229 " all shall work together for the final welfare of those that love God, and are calledand justified, and sancti- fied according to his holy purpose," Rom. viii. .28, There are, doubtless, some peculiar and secret rea- sons in the grand comprehensive scheme of the counsels and decrees of God, why the death of ever_y.saint is.ap- pointed at this season, and not at another ; why some young buds are cropped ere they blossom on earth, and transplanted to open. and unfold themselves, and shine in the garden of God on high, while others are brought home into the heavenly garner, like fruit well-grown, or like a shock of corn fully ripe. There is a divine reason why some are hurried.away bya violent death, and others are permitted. naturally to dissolve into their dust: Why some must die on this spot of ground, and others on that for the vast scheine ofhis counsels haságlorious consist- ency in it with the covenant of. his grace.. And indeed, . the covenant of grace runs through the whole scheine of divine counsels, and mingles itselfwith them all. We rejoice in this meditation, while we believe the truth of it. We are persuaded, that we shall know, hereafter, the various. and admirable designs of divine providence and love;_.in all the infinite variety of the deaths of his saints; and this shall; make part of our songs in the upper world, and give a joyful accent to our hallelujahs there. Let us maintain, therefore, a blessed assurance of the wise and gracious designs of our Lord, in all the. circum- stances of the death of his people. Let us learn to say with that aged saint, and eminent servant of Çhrist, the Reverend Mr. Baxter, when under many weaknesses of ,nature, and long and sore agonies of pain, he spa.ke còncerning -. his death, ":Lord, when thou wilt, what thou wilt, how thou wilt." Let us insure our souls in his hands for eternity,. and not be over solicitous about the circumstances of our death, about the place, the manner, or the hour, when we shall take our leave of life and time. [If this sermon be too long, it may be divided here.] Having made it appear, in these several sermons, that death is ours, or shall turn to our.advantage, , not only when it strikes our friends or strangers, but when, it seizes our own flesh also : I desire to conclude this sub- e3
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