7
384
SURPRIZE
IN
DEATH.
CDISC.
III.
dying.
friend
;
these
anxious
fears,
about
the departed
-
spirit,
swell
the tide
of
our grief
high,
and
double the
inward anguish.
They
are
gone,
alas
!
from
our
world,
but
we know
not
'whither they
are
gone, to
heaven
or
to
hell.
A
sad farewel to those
whom
we
love! A dismal
parting-
stroke, and a long
heart-ache!
And
what honour
can
be
'expected
to be
done
to
God
or
his Son,
what
reputation
or
glory can be given to
reli-
gion, and
the
gospel,
by a
drowsy
christian,
departing,
as
it
were,
under
a spiritual lethargy
?
He
dies
under a
cloud,
and
casts a gloom
upon the christian
faith. St.
Paul
was
a man
of
another
spirit,
a
lively
and active
saint,'
full
of
vigour
and
zeal in his soul
:.
It
was
the
holy
resolution
and
assurance
of
this blessed apostle, that'
Christ
should be
magnified=
in
his
body,
whether
by
life
or
death; Phil.
i.
O.
He spent
his life
in the service
of
Christ, and
he
could rejoice
in
death
as his
gain.
It
is
a
glory to the
gospel,
when
we
can
lie
down
and
die
with.
courage, in
the hope
of
its
promised
blessings.
It
is
an
honour
to
our
common
faith, when
it
overcomes the
ter-
rors of
death, and raises
the
christian to a
song.
of tri-
umph,
in
view
of
the last
enemy.
It
is
a new crown
put
upon
the head
of
our,
Redeemer,
and
a
living
cordial
put
into the hands
of
mourning. friends,
in
our
dying
hour,
when
we
can
take
our
leave
of
them
with holy
fortitude,
rejoicing
in
the salvation
of
Christ.
No
sooner does he
call,
but
we
are
ready,
and.can
answer
with holy
trans-
port,
"
Lord,
I
corne."
This
is
a
blessing
that belongs
only to the
watchful
christian. May every
one
of
us be
awake
to
salvation
in
our
expiring moments,
and
partake
of
this glorious blessedness
!
["
Here
this discourse may
be
divided.
"]
I
proceed
now to
a
few
remarks, and
particularl;
such
as
relate
to
the
necessity
and duty of constant watch
fulness,
and the
hazardous
case
of
sleeping
souls.
Remark I.
"
To
presume
on long
life
is
a
most
dan-
gerous
temptation,
for
it
is
the common spring
and
cause
of
spiritual
sleep and
drowsiness.
Could
we
take an in-
ward
view
of
the
hearts of
men,
and trace
out
the springs
rbf
their
'coldness
and
indifference
about eternal
things,
and the
shameful neglect.
of their
most
important
inter-
ests,
we
should
find
this
secret thought
is
the
-
Bottom
of
their
hearts,
"
that
we
are not
like to die -to-day of
to
-.