223 / 674
.SEAM.
XLI.1
THE
DEATFI
OF
SAINTS
IMPROVED.
203
open
the
eye
of
faith,
and
see
the
holy soul
ascending to
God
;
we
behold the weak
and languishing
body rising
glorious
out
of
the
grave, shaking off
the dust,
and
put-
ting
on its
immortality
:
While
our
faith,
attends the
spirit of
our
departing
friend to heaven,
we
grow
willing
and desirous
to
be
gone too
;
and
being
brought
so
near
to the gates
of
glory,
we
would
fain
take
our
leave
of
mortal
things,
and
4ccompany
the expiring saint
to
the
joyful world
of
spirits.
The
memory
of
such
a
scene,
and
such
an hour,
will
dwell
upon our thoughts
long,
and
support our
own
hope
of
victory, when
we
shall
be
called
to-conflict
with
the
same
enemy.
Having
such a witness gone before
us,
we
shall
not
only
run our race
with
patience, through
all
the
stages
of
it,
but
finish
our
course
with
joy.
There
is
a
sacred courage derived many times to
a
weak believer,
by
attending
the
last
moments
of
a
dying
saint
ascending
to
the
upper
world.
"
I
was
afraid
of
death,
says
a
feeble
Christian, till
I
saw`
my neigh
-
bour
die
:
He
was
once a sinner
as well
as
I,
and
he
had
his
imperfections and
failings in this
life,
as
I
have mine
;
I
humbly
hope
I
have practised the same
repentance
as
he
has done,
I
have
trusted
in
the
same Saviour,
I have
ventured
my
all
upon the
same
gospel,
and travelled on
in the same
path
surely
there
is
forgiveness
for
me
too;
surely the sting
of
my
death
shall be
taken
away also
:
and, through
grace,
I
shall
jòin
in his
triumph;
"
O
death, where
is
thy
sting
?
,O
grave,
where
is
thy
vic-
tory
?"
1
Cor. xv. 55.
This observation
has
been most gloriously exemplified
in
the
death
of
martyrs:
When
the spectators
that
have
been
heathens,
Or
but almost
christians, have been
strangely animated to profess the
gospel boldly, while
they have
seer,
the most amazing courage
of
these glori-
ous
sufferers for
Christ. And those
that
have
been
doubtful
and trembling believers, whose faith
was
waver-
ing,
and
who
were ready
to
let
go
their
profession,
have
ventured through
blood,
and torments, and death,
with
a
divine
resolution,
when they have beheld the
martyrs
meet
the
same
death and torments with
a
sacred bravery
of
soul.
A
multitude
of
.fearful
christians
may be
animated and
encouraged to travel through the
dark
valley,
and to