1:11SCOÙRSE X. 2g9 Ana brethren in France have endured upon the account of your faith, and yet have no better reason to give for it ? You will makebut a poor confessor or martyr, if you can say no more for Christianity than an heathan can say for hit national religion ? Ifyou have no more to plead in defence of theblessedJesus, than n native of Morocco bath for his prophet Mahomet ; a roan of Ephesus for his goddess Dianna, or acitizen- of Athens for his unknown God. Attend therefore to the advice of the apostle Peter, 1 Epist. iii. chap. ver. 14, 15. But and ifye suffer for righteousness -sake, happy areye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be trou- bled; but be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: And again I would put you in mind how he concludes his second epistle, and what direction he gives even to those whohad some good knowledge of christianity,;,that you may be secured from the growing apostacy of the age : ver. 17, 18. Ye, there- fore, beloved; seeing you know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall fromyour own stedfastness: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. VI. This doctrine relieves our sorrows at the death of our pious relatives *, for we know to whom they had intrusted their souls. We are in no pain or jealousy about their eternal state: for when they leave us and this world, they ehaveparted indeed with their friendson earth, but it is to dwell with a better friend; for this is the design of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ofhis power- ful prayer; John xvii. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast givenme, be with me where I am ; to behold my glory. And we should learn for the same reason to well pleased with the time when Christ calls up to heaven those souls that he has taken care of ; ,for he knows the properest hour, when to dismiss them from flesh into the invisible world. If they are declining in their religion, and beginning to wander away from God, we may be ready to say, " O that they may live till they are fully recovered again to the brightnessof thair former profession !" But Christ, who math the care. of them, calls them now, lest they run further away,. and fall into grosser sins; he hides them from temptations in the silent grave, and seizes their souls to himself in the wisest and kindest mo- ment. If they grow more holy, more delightful, and more lovely to all their friends, we are ready to. say, " Now let them live long, to bring more glory to God, to please, entertain, and pro- * This sermon was firstyreachedon occasion of the death of a worthy tyemberofour congregation. Vor. it. T
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