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SEAM.
XLI.]
THE DEATH
OP
SAINTS IMPROVED.
207
the great
and solemn experiment, and surely
I
should
have
courage
to
follow: He
has given
evident
proof,
that
there
is
a
sacred power
in
the
gospel,
the promises
and
the grace
of
Christ, to convey the
soul safe
through
the
dark shadow
of
death,
without surprise and conster-
nation
:
And
has
not
my
soul the same rich
encourage-
ments,
the same promises
of
grace,
and
the same gospel
of
hope
?
"
O
my
Redeemer, and
my
Lord,
hear
-an
humble
suppliant,
influence my soul by thy
rich
grace, to
keep
my
faith
awake,
my conscience
undefiled,
and
my
evi-
dences for
heaven ever br
;
',it+
and
clear.
And
when
my
appointed
hour
comes,
that
solemn and
final
hour,
let
me die the
death
of
the righteous,
and let
my
departure
be like
his;"
Num.
xxiii.
10.
"
Is death
an enemy tó
nature,
and does
it carry
terror
in
the name
?
Yet
since thou
hast subdued
this
enemy,
and taken
it
captive,
to
serve
the
pur-
poses
of
thy
love,
since
thou
hast numbered
it,
and
written
it
down among the possessions
of
thy people
;
since thou
hast taught
so
many
of
thy followers
to
triumph
over
it;
let
me also,
blessed
Jesus,
let
me be
enabled
to
meet
it
with holy
fortitude, and a
lively
hope.
.0
let
me follow
the footsteps
of
theflock, into
the
world
of
spirits, with a sacred pleasure,
though it
be
through
a
dark
passage.
And
as
those,
who
went before
nie,
have
taught
me
to dare to
die,
so
let
my
dying
moments
encou-
rage
those
who come,
after
me,
to venture into death
at
thy
call,
without terror, and without reluctance." Amen.
HYMN
FOR
SERMON
I'LL
DEATH
OF
MANKIND,
SA
INT
II
AS
death
such vast
destruction
made
?
Does
every
hour increase the dead
?
Here
I
behold the guilt
of
sin,
That
brought this spreading mischief
in,
Great
God
!
How awful and
how
just,
Thy
law,
that
turns
our
flesh to
dust!
O.
let
me learn,how
frail am
I,
And all
my life
prepare
to die.
When
impious
wretches yield their breath
Aud
go
unpurdoped'down
to
death,
S
AND SINNERS,
IMPROVED.
Awake my
soul,
adore the grace,
That gave thee a repenting space.
But
when
a
saint with chearful air
Meets
his
last:
foe, and feels no
fear,
,
Our faith, our hope,
and courage
grow
;
We learn to face the
tyrant
too.
We could renounce our
all
things here,
And wish
that
moment
would
appear,
When
we
shall leave this world, and rise
To
meet
the
joys
above the skies