be of that happy number, that we may live again with him in those mansions which thy bounty and goodness have prepared.

And remove from us all fears of death, as thou hast taught us thus to take away its sting and hurtful power, and makest it the means of virtuous improvement and of our highest felicity; that we may have constant pleasure in thoughts of that other world, and be often looking towards it, and may consider death only as a long dark passage to it; and that it be a continual excitement to us to do thy holy will here, that we may not be excluded from the happy list of those who shall have their part in the first resurrection of the blessed; and may join the innumerable multitudes of thy faithful approved servants, in the triumphant song over death and the grave, and over all sin and misery for ever!

may

Now unto thee, O Father, &c.

May the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory, &c.

April 20, 1783.

SERMON

SERMON VII.

LUKE vii. 15, 16.

And be that had been dead sat up, and began to speak: and Jesus delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all; and they glorified God, saying, "That a great prophet is risen among us: and that God hath visited his people."

I PROPOSE to call your thoughts to the consideration of the awful event here described, and to such useful reflections as it shall suggest to us.

The sacred historian introduces it by telling us; (ver. 11.) " And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people."

This Nain, that is here named, is a town of Galilee, a little south of Mount Tabor, whither our Lord had journeyed from Capernaum,

soon

soon after having healed the Centurion's ser

vant.

A great crowd of people followed him: 'many of them his disciples, as the historian calls them, such as believed him to be the Christ, their promised great prophet, the chosen messenger of God; and a promiscuous company of others mixed with them, led by worldly expectations from him, or mere curiosity; which is not to be wondered at, considering the unusual appearance he made: some of whom, whatever were their views, could not miss of reaping something good from him, and being as it were surprised into it; for this heavenly Teacher, knowing his time to be short, was always saying or doing what tended to edify all that were near him, and about him. And he gave himself no rest, but travelled on foot from place to place, to give opportunity to as many as might be to see his miraculous works, the evidence of his authority from God, and to hear his excellent instructions. As he drew near the town a very affecting scene presented itself.

(Ver. 12.) "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold one that was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and

she

she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her."

It was her only child, which made the loss the greater; and being a widow, solitary and desolate, she was deprived at once of all her worldly comfort and support. We may gather also, that she was a person much respected, from the great numbers of her townsfolk and neighbours that were along with her, lamenting her sorrowful and forlorn condition.

When our Lord met them, they were carrying the corpse out of the city to be buried, as was customary with the Jews. Among the Romans also, it was forbidden by the law of the Twelve Tables to bury within their towns: and they usually interred their dead by the road side in the public highways, where they erected tombs for them with their inscriptions; useful monitors to the traveller passing on his way, and which might well be adopted by christians, to tell him that such was the end of all human greatness; and that it was only by virtuous and good actions that mortals could hope to live after death. For the general melancholy turn of all the epitaphs of the ancient heathens was, that at death they took a solemn farewell of each other for ever. It would be

well