A

DISCOURSE

ON THE DEATH OF

GEORGE VANDERPOOL;

WITH

A NARRATIVE

OF THE INTERESTING CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ATTENDED HIS LIFE AND DEATH:

Delivered in the State-Prison Chapel, New-York, October 1, 1820,

BY JOHN STANFORD, A. M.

CHAPLAIN TO THE INSTITUTION.

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

ST. PAUL

SINNER, fast flying to eternity,

Without one ray of well-placed hope to cheer
Thy passage through the gloomy vale of death:
Stand still, and learn IMMANUEL's power to save!
Incline thine ear to that celestial voice,

Which, when it calls in mercy, speaks a heaven
Of solid bliss into a hell-bound soul!

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED BY T. AND J. SWORDS,
No. 160 Pearl-street.

SWAIN.

DISCOURSE, &c.

ZECHARIAH iii. 2.

Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

I PRESUME you are fully persuaded of my disposition to

observe every event which occurs in this prison, for the purpose of promoting your moral improvement; and as God, by his messenger death, has removed from your unfortunate number GEORGE VANDERPOOL; and as the circumstances attending him were of a peculiar description, I purpose this morning to deliver you a discourse on the subject. From a personal knowledge of his case, and a belief of the mercy of God to his soul, I could find no text of Scripture so well adapted as that which I have now read-Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

It is necessary that I should first explain the parts of the Vision which was presented to Zechariah, in order that you may perceive the propriety of the question. I shall then show you the justness of its application to any sinner whom the. Lord is pleased to pluck from the fire of his iniquities. These will necessarily introduce a narrative of the solemn and interesting circumstances which attended your late companion, now numbered with the dead. May it please God, in his abundant mercy, so to command his blessing upon this service, that solemn impressions may be produced upon every heart present; and that we may have occasion to rejoice, that other brands are plucked out of the fire.

FIRST-We shall examine the parts of the vision. In Scripture language, a vision is the supernatural representation

of persons or things to the mind, whether asleep, or awake; and this, universally, is ascribed to the will and pleasure of the Supreme Being. In this manner the Lord not only communicated his mind to his ancient Prophets, but by them made representations of those facts, persons, and things, without which they would not otherwise have been known. Of this description is the vision shown to Zechariah, combined with the text.

Zechariah was contemporary with the Prophet Haggai ; both of whom returned from the captivity in Babylon with Zerubbabel, who was made governor of the land by commission from Cyrus, purposely to rebuild the desolated city of Jerusalem and its temple. The High Priesthood, which had suffered interruption, and been in a state of degradation for upwards of seventy years, was now necessarily to be restored, in order to the public worship of the God of Israel. This vision, therefore, was to represent to Zechariah the state of this high office at that period, the person who was to officiate, and the mercy of the Lord in its restoration.

The person represented as standing before the Angel of the Lord, is Joshua ; whom Haggai calls the son of Josedeck. He, by lineal descent, was from Jozadak, who was the son of Seraiah, the high priest when the temple was destroyed. Of course he was by genealogy entitled to the sacred office. He is said to stand before the Angel of the Lord; not before the altar, for as yet he was unfit for the holy service, being clothed in filthy garments. These were defiled by personal transgressions, the iniquities of the Israelites, and by captivity in idolatrous Babylon.-To add to the forlorn state of Joshua, Satan stood at his right hand to resist him. For although this infernal accuser of the brethren has no purity in himself, he is too well acquainted with this truth, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; and that such a defiled person has no right to officiate at his altar.Who now shall appear in favour of Joshua? Incapable of cleansing his own garments; shall his claim be denied, and Israel be destitute of their chief

ト

officer to perform the worship of their God? No. The Lord himself interposes. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord

rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Who can be this angel, the Lord? Who had authority to silence the accuser, but the Lord Messiah, the Son of God, who was manifested to destroy the works of the devil; and who expressly is the ANGEL OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE, and the ANGEL, or messenger, of THE COVENANT. The rebuke was sufficient; the accuser was silenced; and the triumphant question is proposed in the language of the text-Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? As if the Lord had said, "O Satan, though Joshua be clothed with filthy garments, and as a brand was long burning in the fire of my displeasure in Babylon; yet, is my arm shortened that it cannot save from total destruction? Behold, O thou enemy of man, and of my Israel; see Joshua, once a burning brand, now by my hand is snatched from the fire, to serve me in my temple, and stand as a monument of my mercy to thine own confusion!" Who but must stand astonished at so great an interposition of the adorable Saviour! Yet this is not all. Orders are immediately given to take away his filthy garments from him. A pardon is announced—Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. A mitre, one of the chief ornaments of the high priest, was placed upon his head; and he was clothed with garments, I presume such as corresponded with those which were appointed for Aaron and his sons. A solemn charge was then delivered to him-Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. The charge then closes with a certain assurance of the coming of the promised Messiah-Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. This, no doubt, was designed to animate the soul of Joshua, and the faith of the Israelites in their devotional expectation