with. A delightful support it is und er sufferings, and a noble motive to duty. Awake, awake, all my active powers, let every grace be in exercise, and every talent be employed to bring this revenue of honour to my God and my Saviour in this life, which the saints above cannot give him, and which, at the moment of death, must for ever cease.

Blessed Spirit, lead me to the practice of the most useful duties, that my service may be of a large extent both to God and man. Now let me study and contrive, wherein I may best promote the interest of Christ and his gospel here on earth. earth. Let me bear the burdens of life with a holy satisfaction: let me endure the fatigues of labour with a sacred pleasure: let me resist the temptations, let me sustain the sorrows of life like a good soldier of Christ in the present field of battle. Heaven will have other business for me, and proper work of its own that is the place of joy and triumph.

Forgive, O my God, all my slothfulness in duty, and my impatience of suffering. Let this new and glorious motive possess my spirit, powerfully, and influence all my future conduct, that when the messenger of death shall tell me, I must be employed in this sort of work no more, I may look back from the borders of eternity, and rejoice that I have been assisted by divine grace, to do so much for God on earth; and when I am called away from the present stage of action, I may be received by my great -master at the gates of heaven, with a Well done good and faithful servant, come, enter into the joy of thy Lord. Amen.

HYMN FOR SERMON XVIII.

LONG METRE.

AWAKE my zeal, awake my love,
And serve my Saviour here below,

A

SERMON XIX.

DEATH IMPROVED TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

1 CORINTHIANS iii. 22.

Whether life or death-all are yours.

THE

HE chief thing which the apostle has in his eye in these verses, is to represent the glory and grandeur, the treasures and possessions that every believer is a partaker of, by virtue of his interest in Christ; and to shew, that whatsoever persons or affairs a Christian has to do with in the natural, the civil, and the religious life, they shall all turn to his benefit one way or other. All the circumstances that attend him while he continues here in this world, and even his departure out of it too shall work for his good. Death is numbered among his possessions as well as life. Death may be terrible to flesh and blood, for it is a curse in its orignal nature and design, and sinners will find and feel the curse of it; but it is transformed into a blessing to the saints by the abounding grace of the gospel.

I confess, it is a Christian's own death that the

holy writer seems chiefly and most particularly to design and intend here; and this I shall most largely insist upon; but since death in all its circumstances and attendants, in all the extent of its dominion, and with all its power, is under the sovereign management of God our heavenly Father; it is constrained to subserve his kind and gracious purposes to his own people, in all its forms and appearances. And I think upon this account, that I shall not transgress the apostle's great and general design, if I take the dreadful name of Death in its widest and most formidable extent of power, and with relation to all its victories; and shew, how even in this largest sense it is appointed to subserve the glory of God, and the kingdom of Christ, and by the grace of the new covenant, it is rendered useful and beneficial to every true Christian; on this account therefore may be numbered amongst his possessions. Death

it

is yours.

With this view I shall endeavour to run through these five general heads following, and improve each of them in a few particulars to the benefit of Christians, agreeably to the design of my text.

Death is made useful to a saint when we consider it. (1) As reigning over all mankind in general. (2) As seizing on impenitent and unpardoned sinners. (3) As taking captive the bodies of the saints. (4) As depriving us of our dear relations and kindred. And, (5) As bringing our own bodies down to the dust.

I confess, I was very unwilling to leave the death of Christ out of this catalogue; for his death is not only the most eminent blessing to every Christian, but it is also the price that purchased all other blessings in time, and in eternity; it is the death of Christ that may be called a Christian's richest treasure, for it procures for him all the treasures of grace and glory, it is the fruit of his death, that all