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symptom of our regard to them, or to the cause of religion and virtue. On the contrary, it looks as if our whole aim was to succeed, as quickly and quietly as possible, to their estates, their honours or places of employ, with but little regard to their memories, or any due sense of their former usefulness, or the lessons which their deaths should teach.

The hand of a dead man stroaking the part is said, to be a cure for a certain unnatural swelling of the body, called the Tympany. But certain it is that the consideration of death is always one of the best cures for the unnatural swellings of the spirit, and of all pride and vain affections in men; since we see that whatever difference there may be among men or women in this world as to birth, education, wealth, honour, beauty, strength, character, and the likedeath levels all, and leaves all alike, as the unpitied victims of his sad devastations.

But I said that the sacred scriptures, as well as the ancient customs of nations, justified funeral rites and eulogies on the dead.

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When Joseph heard of the death of his venerable father Jacob, he hastened to the breathless clay; "fell upon it, and wept over it, and kissed it, and com"manded his physicians to embalm the body; and he "and all his brethren, and kinsfolks, with chariots " and horsemen, a very great company, went up to

bury him in his own burying ground, as far as the "land of Canaan, and made a great and very sore "lamentation for their father seven days.”*

So likewise, in the book of Ecclesiasticus, we find the following express command

* Genesis, Chap. L.

My son, let tears fall over the dead, and begin "to lament, as if thou hadst suffered great harm thyself; and then cover his body according to the

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custom, and neglect not his burial;" but-" weep bitterly and make great moan, and use lamentation, "and that a day or two, lest thou be evil spoken of-" and then comfort thyself under thy heaviness."

Here we have a full and exact account of funeral mournings, honours and solemnities, under the old Testament dispensation. In like manner, in the new Testament" the devout men who carried Stephen to “his burial, made great lamentation over him; and "when Peter went to raise Dorcas from the dead

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(who had been a woman full of good works and alms"deeds) the widows whom she had relieved in her "life time, came round him weeping, and shewing "the coats and garments which she had made, while "she was with them"-" nay, a greater than Peter, " even JESUS CHRIST, groaned in spirit over Laza"rus"—or rather, he shed tears of love and sympathy with the weeping relatives of the deceased, at the moment he was preparing to call him forth again from the dead. So far, concerning the duty of funeral solemnities. I come now more particularly

2dly. To speak of commemorating the virtues of the dead, for the example and benefit of the living. This is an advantage, as I said before, which in these days is seldom improved. For the righteous and the good are too often taken away, and no man layeth it to heart; or if they lay it to heart at all, it is perhaps to murmur or complain of the wise dispensations of Providence, and say with the wise

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man-"All things have I seen in the days of my "vanity. There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness; and there is a wicked man that "prolongeth his life in his wickedness." This, indeed, considered by itself, would seem a hard dispensation; to behold the good, the wise, the virtuous, snatched away in the prime of life, or the full meridian of their public usefulness, whilst the wicked, the idle and the useless, sometimes continue in the world to the utmost length of nature's span. This would seem inexplicable, if it were not for the consideration of the world to come, and what the prophet directly adds to alarm and awaken us; namely, that "the righteous are taken away from the evil to come.” That is to say, the great and gracious God, when they have arrived to the fulness of honour and usefulness, in mercy takes them from all future danger of falling by temptation, or losing the glory they have acquired.

The ancient Christians, besides the solemnity of their funerals, were wont to meet at the graves of their martyrs and saints and holy men, to recite the history of their sufferings and triumphs, and to bless God for their holy lives and happy deaths, offering up also their prayers for grace to follow their good example. And for this they seem to have had St. Paul's express authority, and especially respecting the preachers and teachers of the word of God. For he exhorts the Hebrews to" remember them who had spoken unto "them the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."

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In this important light, we must long remember our worthy and venerable brother, who hath been, called suddenly, (but, we have every ground to believe, not wholly unprepared) to exchange his pulpit for a coffin, his eloquence for silence, and his eminent abilities in doing good for darkness and the grave.

In the service of his country, during our late contest for Liberty and Independence, he was near and dear to our illustrious commander in chief-he was also his neighbour, and honoured and cherished by him as a pastor, and friend-When, on the conclusion of the war, he returned to his pastoral charge, and our church in these states, in the course of divine Providence, were called to organize themselves, as independent of all foreign authority, civil and ecclesiastical, he was from the beginning elected the chief clerical member to represent the numerous churches of Virginia in our general conventions; and highly estimable he was amongst us. He was a sound and able divine, a true son, and afterwards a father, as a bishop-elect, of our church; with his voice always, with his pen occasionally, supporting and maintaining her just rights, and yielding his constant and zealous aid in carrying on the great work for which we are assembled at this time.

Full of a devout desire for the final accomplishment of this work at the present time, he came to this city; but it hath pleased the sovereign goodness otherwise to dispose of him, and to call him, as we trust, to become a member of the church triumphant in Heaven.

* At Alexandria in Virginia.

With Christian patience and fortitude, though at a distance from his family and his nearest relatives and friends, he sustained his short but severe illness. Friends nevertheless closed his eyes-Friends and brethren now accompany him to the grave, mournful as to the flesh, but joyful and thankful to God in soul and spirit for his past usefulness and example.

But I hasten to a conclusion. Funeral addresses are intended only for the benefit of the living. Be, therefore, the virtues and example of our deceased brother long precious amongst us; but let us dry up our tears, and silence every vain complaint. Let us not question the dispensations of Providence; nor murmuring, ask—-Whether it were not to be desired, that men endued with eminent talents to serve their country and families, should be long preserved in health of body and vigour of mind; and that the hour of their death should be protracted to the latest period of old age? Say we not so. For the commander of an army best knows when to call the centinel from world hath his office

his post. Every man in this and station assigned by Heaven, and continueth therein so long as it pleaseth the supreme Ruler; and he that performeth his part best and liveth well, may be said to live longest.

Seeing, then, my brethren, that, by the faithful discharge of our civil and religious duties, we may overcome death, be prepared for eternity, and leave our names sweet to the world behind us; let us take for our example the virtue and goodness of our departed friends, and be persuaded that there is no honour, no happiness to be acquired here on earth, equal

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