235 / 674
stay'.
?(x,I1.3
VIE-DEATH
OF
KINDRED iMPBOVEDr
2'lK
the throne of
grace, till
I
had found
some
evidences
of
a
new
nature
in
him,
and a change
of heart
fróin
sin to
repentance and
holiness.
"
Or
suppose
my
departed
relative
was
a true
christian,
what
did
I
do
toward the
increase
of
his
faith
?
Did
I
ever allure
him
to
holy
conversation
?
Did I take
occa-
Zion
now
and then to introduce religious discourse
?
Did
I
converse with
him
ever
about'
the
matters
of
our
com-
mon
salvation,
that
as
iron sharpens
iron,
so we
might
have
quickened
each others
zeal
and
love, and
helped
each
other
onward
in
our
way
to
heaven
?
"
Surely
I
have found myself
too
guilty, in some
of
these instances. Forgive
my
criminal
negligence,
O
my
God, and through
thy grace,
I
will
apply myself to
dou-
ble diligence, with
regard
to my
relatives
that
yet
sur-
vive
:
I
will
enquire,
as
far
as
it
is
proper, into the state
of their
souls
:
I
will
seek
the most powerful
and the
kindest
methods,
to
awaken the thoughtless sinners
amongst them
;
and
I
will
study, and pray,
and
ask
God
what
I
shall say to make
a deep impression upon
their
hearts:
And
though
I
have no
office
in
the church,
yet
what
I
have
learned there,
I
will
talk over at home
:
I
will
preach Christ
crucified,
and
all
his
gospel
to them,
as
God
shall
give me
proper
opportunity.
I
will
con-
verse more freely with
my
pious
kindred about the things
of
God, and learn their
inward sentiments
of
religion
and experimental
godliness.
Thus
will
I
bring
holy
dis-
course into the parlour and the chamber
;
and every
soul
in
my
house
shall
be
a witness
of
my
endeavours
tQ
promote
the
eternal
welfare
of
those
that
are near
me."
Now
when the
death of
a
near relation attains
such
an
end
as this,
and
raises
our repentance and
holy zeal
at
this
rate,
we
cannot doubt but that
we
receive sensible
advantage
by it.
VI. The
death
of
our
friends, who were
truly religi-
ous, inclines
us
to review
their instructions
and
their vir-
tues,
and
sets
them before
our
eyes,
in
a fresh and
lively
manner,
to influence
our
own
practice.
We are too ready
to
forget their
advice, while they
are
living
and
daily
present
with
us,
and
we
take too little
notice
of
those virtues, in which they were
eminent.
We
beheld their humility toward
God and
men,
their conde-
scension to
their
inferiors,
their
love
and hearty
friend.
s4u