SERMON XLII. The Death of Kindred improved. t Con. iii. 22. Whether life or death, all are yours, i1APPY, and immortal had Adam been, and all his children, if he had not ventured to break the command of his Creator: had been theirs in the most glorious sense of it; and death had notbeen known. But when sin entered into the world, death followed closebehind it, according to thatjust and solemn threat- ening, In the day thou eatest, tltott shalt surely die; Gen. ii. 17. And what a dismal havoc has this enemy made amongst the inhabitants of our world ! It lias strewed the earth With carcases, and turned millions of human bodies into dust and corruption. The very name of death spreads a terror through all nature: But as dreadful andformidable as it is in itself, the grace of Christ makes a blessing of it, and sanctifies it to the advantage of his own people. In the former discourse on this subject, we have learned some divine lessons from death, in its widest extent of dominion. The death of all mankind yields some special advantage to a saint : He is taught to reap some benefit from the deathof impe- nitent sinners, though it carry along with it, such a fearful train of attendants, and draw after it a long eternity of torments. He knows how to derive some advantage from the death of his fel- low-christiians ; and whether they die in the joy of faith, and serenity of spirit, or whether their sun sets in a cloud, and fears and doubts attend them, in that important hour, still he is taught to profit by it. In these three instances, it appears that death is ours : Death is in this respect made the treasure andpro- perty of a christian, as he is instructed to improve it, to his own sacred interest, and to thewelfare of his soul. We proceed now to the Fourth general head, and shall endeavour to skew how the death of our relations and kindred in the flesh shall turn to our benefit. I. It shews us the emptiness and insufficiencyof our dearest created comforts, of all blessings that are not immortal. We have lost, perhaps, an inferior relation, a son, a daugh- ter, a nephew, a pleasing entertainment and comfortof life : But
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