DEDICATION,

nearly bordering upon Fruition, that ere long you are to rejoin the once faithful Partner of your Joys and Griefs, in an eternal, an infeparable Union; fuch an Union as the Perfection of that better State, where the Spirits of the Juft refide, will admit of; an Union of purified Souls in the Service and Enjoyment of their God, Glorious Hopes! animated by these, let us hold on and hold out to the End, in a patient enduring of Afflic tions; in à calm filial Submiffion to the Will and Pleafure of our Father in Heaven; whofe Right to difpofe of all our Interests, both perfonal an₫ relative, `none can difpute; whose Power none can controul; and whofe Goodness none can arraign. Such a

Temper

Temper, or Difpofition of Mind, as I have here hinted at, is at once, greatly ornamental to the Profeffion of Chrif tianity, and highly honourable to our holy Religion itself. And, give me Leave to say it, fuch is the Ornament, Madam, of your Profeffion, and fuch is the Honour which you have done, and are still doing, to the Faith of Fefus. Forgive me, Madam, that I make these Strictures in your Charac ter fo publick. I only do it with a View to encourage others in their Attempts to regulate their Paffions, and bring them under the Government of Reafon and Religion, upon the fame afflictive Trials that you have met with. This is one great End which I hope to answer by prefixing this Addrefs

DEDICATION.

vii

Addrefs to the following Difcourse. Another End which I have in View, is, to exprefs an affectionate and respectful enfe of your repeated Civilities. As to the following Discourse itself, though your Candour, Madam, may not require an Apology for it, the World may, If fo, I have only this to offer, that nothing having appeared as a Teftimony of publick Respect to the Memory of fo great and good a Man as the Reverend Mr. BOURN, fome of his Friends were defirous to preferve fomething of his Character, and the few Minutes of his Life which they had heard in a Sermon preached foon after his Death. At their Request it is now made publick, and humbly submitted

to

to their Candour, and to the Candour of all those into whofe Hands it may now fall. It was not preached at the Request of any Perfon, but dictated purely by a Sense of what I thought was owing from myfelf to the Memory of my worthy Collegue, as well as to his Family and the Churches of Chrift, whereof he had the Overfight.

My Heart's Defire and Prayer to "God for them is, that they may be "Saved."

I am, amidst the best Wishes for your beft Interefts, both temporal and fpiritual, perfonal and relative, MADAM, Your affectionate Friend

and obliged humble Servant,

S. BLYTH.

2 TIM. iv. 7, 8.

I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my Courfe, I have kept the Faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouf ness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day.

I

T is with the fincereft fympathetic Concern for the Interefts of Religion in general, and the religious Interefts of this Society in particular; a Concern dictated both by Duty, Interest, and Affection, that I now enter upon this mourn Service, as it is facred to the Memory and the Merits of your lately honoured Friend and faith al Minister in Chrift Jefus, whofe indefatigable Labours of Love and Zeal for your better, your immortal Parts, you have long been reaping the happy Fruits of; but whofe Face, alas! you must now fee, and whofe Voice, alas! you must now hear no more. His" Silver Cord is loofed, his Golden Bowl is broken, his Duft is returned into the Bofom of its Parent Earth, and his Spirit to God, who gave it."

As of the nobleft Pile of Building, when the Pillars fail, we may fay the whole Superftructure is in Danger; fo of that beautiful Fabrick, Religion, when those who have long

B

been,