DISCOURSE II. 79 christian name, and the gospel, which has gained them so many victories over the enemies of their salvation, at that age wherein multitudes are the captives of sin, and slaves to folly and vanity. 4. Those christians who are awake to God in their early years, leave more happy and powerful examples of living and dying to their young companions and acquaintance. It is the temper of every age of life, to be more influenced and affected by the practice of persons of the same years. Sin has fewer ex- cuses to make in order to shield itself from the reproof of such "examples, who have renounced it betimes ; and virtue carries With it a more effectual motive to persuade young sinners to piety and goodness, when it càn point to its votaries of the same age, and in the saine circumstances of life. " Why may not this be practised by you, as well as by your companions round about you of the same age ?" But I must hasten to the last reflection. III. " When we mourn the death of friends who were pre. pared for an early summons, let their preparation be our sup- port " Blessed he God, they were not found sleeping ! While we drop our tears upon the grave of any young christian, who was awake and alive to God, that blessedness which Christ him, self pronóunees upon them, is a sweet cordial to mingle with our bitter sorrows, and will greatly assist to dry up the spring of 'them. The idea of their piety, and their approbation in the sight of God, is a balm to heal the wound, and give present ease to the heart -ache. We are ready to run over their virtues, and spread abroad their amiable qualities in our thoughts, and then with seeming reason, we give a loose to the mournful passion ; whereas all these, when set in a true light, are real ingredients towards our relief. We lament the loss of our departed friend, when we review that capacious and uncommon power of memory which the God of nature had given her, and which was so well furnished with a variety of human and divine knowledge, and was stored with a rich treasure of the word of God, so that if providence had called her into a more public appearance, she might have stood up in the world as a burning and a shining light, so far as her sex and station required. This furniture of the mind seems in- deed to be lost in death and buried in the grave ; but we give in too much to the judgment of sense; did not this extensive knowledge lay a foundation for her early piety ? And did it not by this means, prepare her for a more speedy removal to a higher school of Improvement, and a world of sublimer devotion ? And does she not shine there among brighter and better company? We mourn again for our loss of a person so valuable, when we think of that general calmness and sedateness of soul which
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