SERMON XLII. ßG5 ever about the matters of our common salvation, that as iron sharpens iron, so we might have quickened each others zeal and love, and helped each other onward in our way toheaven ? C0 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 double diligence, with regard to my relatives that yet survive : 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 awakenthe thoughtless sin- ners 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 havenooffice 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 meproper opportu- nity. I will converse 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 disçourse into the parlour and the chamber; and every soul in my house shall be a witness of my endeavours to promote the eternal wel- fare of those that are near me. ' Now when the death of anear 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 religious, in- ,clines us to review their instructions and their virtues, and sets them beforeour 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 towardGod and men, their condescension to their inferiors, their love and hearty friendship toward their equals, and their sweet- ness of 'temper toward all around them. We beheld it, and per- haps we loved and honoured them for it; but we took but little pains to copy after diem. We saw, their pity to the poor and the miserable, their charity to persons of different sects and senti- ments in religion ; their readiness to forgive those that offended them, and their good-will and obliging carriage to all men. 'There was a beauty and loveliness in this conduct, that rendered them amiable indeed, buthow little havewe transcribed of their exam- ple, either into our hearts or our lives ? Weobserved their con- stant tenderness of conscience, their devotion toward God, and their zeal for the honour of Christ, and his gospel in the world. O that we had made these graces the matter of our imitation ! What can we do now more to honour their memory, than to speak, and live, and act like theta?,
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