prime. His talents are brilliant. His education has been answerable to his abilities. He is about to enter upon the stage of the world, with many a pleasing expectation of future eminence. His bosom beats high with hope. His friends promise him both reputation and usefulness in the profession he has chosen. But, just as these hopes are about to be realized, they fade away forever. The pleasing dreams issue in disappointment. Some fatal disease hurries him into the grave. His "days are past," his "purposes are broken off;" and from his tomb issues a voice, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass." 5. Behold the half-hearted, careless trifler, who purposes at some future opportunity to be on the Lord's side. While he purposes to repent to-morrow, the thread of his life is snapped asunder and he dies to-day. And, O terrible thought! his everlasting lament must be, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and I am not saved!" 6. Nor are good men exempted from the sudden stroke of mortality. Job had to mourn, "My purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart." His purposes must have been virtuous and laudable; for he "feared God, and eschewed evil;" he "was perfect and upright;" and there was "none like him in the earth." To please his Maker, and to glorify God in his body and in his spirit, had surely been the prevailing desires of this holy man. No doubt, too, he had formed many pleasing, many honorable purposes, with respect to the education and settlement of his numerous family. Nor were his benevolent designs, if we may judge from his past conduct, confined to his own children; for he had been a general blessing to the country where he lived. He had "instructed many," and "strengthened the weak hands." His "words" had "upholden him that was falling," and he had "strengthened the feeble knees." "When the ear heard me," he recounts, "then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out." (Job iv, 3, 4; xxix, 11–13, 15, 16.) Such were the purposes, the godlike pursuits, in which Job was interrupted by affliction, if not, as he apprehended, by approaching death. In this apprehension, we know, he was for the time mistaken; since his latter days were more blessed than his beginning. But in swiftly following years he died, and left the world in which he had lived a general benefactor. And how often are we called by an inscrutable providence to witness and lament such painful dispensations! How often is the man of God hurried away! His "heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." He has chosen the better part. He lives beloved by his neighbors and friends; a credit to his profession, an ornament to the Gospel. But his piety cannot shelter him from disease; he is unexpectedly summoned into eternity, and goes to his reward. I need not say that the selection of the text was suggested by the melancholy event which this day shrouds our pulpits in black, and fills the country with mourning. The unexpected removal of an amiable princess, presumptive heiress to the British crown, in circumstances peculiarly interesting and affecting, has justly excited the regrets and tears of all England. While it doubtless becomes us to say, as she did on hearing of her infant's death,."It is the will of God," and under that conviction to adore the wisdom and the rectitude of a dispensation which we cannot fathom-it is, nevertheless, permitted us deeply to lament that her days, from which we had fondly anticipated so much happiness and glory to our country, are forever past; and her purposes, and our hopes, so far as they were involved in her life, are broken off. We looked for peace and comfort; and, behold, trouble is come upon us. It is not my intention to pronounce her panegyric. I pretend not to the information which would be required in order to render anything like justice to one whose rank removed her to 80 great a distance from the observation of persons in common life. Suffice it to say-and let the satisfaction which is felt in saying or in hearing it be mixed with gratitude to HIM by whom kings reign and princes decree justice that there appears good reason to believe that her talents, her principles, and her virtues were such as would have qualified her, in a very high degree, for the lofty station which, as we hoped, she had been born to fill, as the sovereign of a great and free people. It seems to be well ascertained that her disposition, though spirited and noble, was kind and amiable; that she understood and indulged the luxury of doing good, by relieving the wants and promoting the comforts of those whom providence placed within the sphere of her. benevolence; that she felt the high responsibility of her situation, and applied herself with laudable and conscientious diligence to those pursuits which were likely to prepare her for a due discharge of queenly duties; that she manifested a becoming aversion from the excessive bustle and dissipation of fashionable life, and knew how to find enjoyment in studious retirement and domestic occupations; that, during her short but happy experience in the holy estate of matrimony, she was conspicuous for the exercise of conjugal virtues, which in her case acquired a peculiar importance from the widely extended influence of their example; and that she reverenced religion, accounted the Sabbath of the Lord honorable, and rendered homage to the Scriptures as the book of God. These are traits in her character which justly excited esteem and hope while she lived, and the recollection of which now embalms her memory, and associates with her name feelings of unfeigned affection and respect. But without further indulging the melancholy pleasure of dilating on what was excellent in the departed princess, allow me to point out to you very briefly some of those duties to which professors of Christianity are, as I conceive, specially called by this afflictive dispensation of Divine Providence. 1. The first of these is the exercise of an affectionate and loyal sympathy with the illustrious family whom this breach most immediately affects. The duties of rulers and people, of superiors and inferiors, are reciprocal. Our sympathy should be manifested not only by every becoming expression of con dolence, but also, and especially, by prayer that the sufferers may be divinely supported, and that the calamity may be sanctified to their spiritual and eternal advantage. 2. We are called personally to improve the visitation by laying to heart the truths thus exemplified. Such truths are, the brevity of life, the emptiness of worldly grandeur, man's entire dependence on God, and the need of habitual preparation for eternity. 3. We are called to earnest prayer in behalf of those great national interests which are affected by this event. Regarding the succession to the crown of these realms, we may admit that personal character is less important in a free and representative government than in case of an absolute monarchy. Yet it is of great importance, even politically; and much more so morally. Who can compute the advantage conferred on us by the religious principles and example of the venerable George III. We have need to pray, (if we may so apply the strain of inspired psalmody,) "Give the king thy judgments, O God; and thy righteousness unto the king's son." Let us plead also with the Great Ruler of all, that whatever measures may grow out of this event, affecting the future succession, may be under the special guidance of his wisdom and love; so that "truth and justice, religion and piety," may flourish among us, and the British scepter be always wielded in the fear of the Highest. Finally. Let us value our mercies, and improve them by leading "quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy ii, 2-4.) 1 XXV. GOD'S REMEMBRANCE OF ISRAEL. O ISRAEL, THOU SHALT NOT BE FORGOTTEN OF ME.-Isaiah xliv, 21. ONE very important and agreeable part of that commission which God has given to his ministers is expressed in the first verse of the fortieth chapter of Isaiah's prophecy, where we read the remarkable words, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." And, together with the commission itself, our gracious Lord has also furnished the means and materials which are requisite to the due execution of it. In committing to us the oracles of God, he has put into our hands "exceeding great and precious promises," which it is our duty so to exhibit, explain, and apply, that we may be faithful stewards of the divine mysteries, and helpers of your joy. One class of these promises may be termed limited and particular, being such as refer to some special case and condition of God's people, which they distinctly mark and point out. Others are more general and comprehensive, and are couched in terms of such extensive import as to include all possible cases and circumstances, and to furnish a medicine for every wound, a cordial for every care, an antidote against every fear. Of this latter kind is the consolatory assurance contained in our text, on which I propose now to offer a few plain remarks. Let us implore the divine presence and blessing while we consider, I. The persons to whom this promise belongs. I. The promise of the text is addressed to Israel. By this term the Holy Ghost, who spake by the prophets, |