Acts,

subtile temptations of Satan; the more he will be convinced of the vast importance, and the earnest labor to preserve a good conscience in all things. And certain it is, that nothing will obscure the lights, whether of conscience or profession, so much as deviating from the path of rectitude. What a fine description have we of this labor, from the conduct and the pen of St. Paul. Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence, toward God, and toward men. xxiv, 16. Happy the man who, by the grace of his God, is thus employed amidst the conflicting scenes of life; for certainly, a careless life and temper cannot be supposed to preserve the bright jewel of a clear conscience, whatever pretensions that person may claim to religion. Not so Mrs. Hoffman. Whoever were acquainted with her private or public life, are at no loss to recollect, what expressions of piety, truth, justice, kindness and love, marked her steps in every department of life. Whether we saw her industriously employed in her family, in the house of the widow, or in transacting the concerns of the orphans; integrity and uprightness preserved her. In all these relative duties, it was her happiness to appeal to her Maker, for the correctness of her motives; and with humility confessed, I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience. 2 Tim. i, 3. If then such a conscience as this, produced such active virtues in her life, no wonder that she enjoyed such ample support under the infirmities of old age; that her loins were girt about with truth, her light burning, and she ready and waiting for the knock of death, to open immediately at the call of her Lord.

IV. USEFULNESS IN LIFE, will certainly contribute to 'composure in death. As God in his providence assigns every man his station and his duties, a conviction of having, in some good degree, performed those duties, will not only excite a pleasing satisfaction in the breast, but materially contribute in producing a high degree of tranquillity, when either through the infirmities of age we are no longer capable of public exertions, or are brought down to the borders of the grave. Perhaps it is in this sense that Solomon says, a good man shall be satisfied from himself. Prov. xiv, 14. So, it is said of David, after he had served his own generation, by the will of God, he fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. Acts xiii, 36. This exemplifies what I have said. The secret will of God brings us into being; allots us like David, a place among our own generation of men, whether in the family, or as members of a community; and thus fixes us in the very station designed for our activity, and at the same time assigns the work to be performed. The revealed will of God, in this case, becomes the rule of our action, both in temper and conduct; and the time will arrive when the work and the labor of life will end; and then, by the final blessed will of God, like David, we shall gently fall asleep in death: and thus, though, our bodies must see corruption, we indulge the hope, that our spirits shall wing their way to be forever with the Lord. Yes! blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.-You will readily anticipate the correct application of these sentiments to our departed friend. Among the poor and destitute of her

generation, God gave her that virtue and talent which directed her way to the disconsolate widow, and to hear the cries of the helpless orphan. Unwearied in her long exertions to nourish and to instruct these distressed objects, it was impossible but that her mind should review the scenes of her benevolence with satisfaction, that she had thus far served her generation by the will of her God. It is, however, necessary to say, if by her reflecting on those delightful works of charity she had, like Abraham, whereof to glory, it was not before God, for her personal justification and acceptance at his throne. She knew, and she confessed herself to be a sinner, and fixed her hope alone on the -righteousness of Christ for everlasting life. And she equally confessed, that any kind offices she had performed in favor of her distressed fellow creatures, it was dictated by that gratitude which she owed to her God, and to his Name she ascribed all the glory. These formed a part of the last effusions of her breast, when confined from her active duties; and frequently, in her last hours, they were subjects of reflection, and inspired her praise to that God who had given her a hand and heart to follow the example of her Saviour, in going about doing good A strong incitement this to every benevolent mind, not to be weary in welldoing for in due season we shall reap if we fuint not. Like Mrs. Hoffman, you will reap the golden harvest of pleasure in your last days, and make you the more willing to depart, because your work is done.

V. The last source I shall name, from whence composure in death is derived, is, a lively hope of interest in THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST. Though this is C

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a subject of the greatest importance to the life of faith in every christian, and intimately entwines itself in all the hopes and desires of the soul in prospect of eternity: it is a fact, that its sweetness and its power, are best enjoyed in the dreary season of old age. Indeed, without this charming prospect, death at any time, would still wear its terrors, and the grave be covered with its awful gloom. For if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 1 Cor. Our denial of the carnal pleasures of sense and of the world, would be folly; an exposure to suffering for the cause of Christ would be madness; our desires after immortality would become abortive; our hope of pardon and happiness would be cut off; and, a profession of the gospel would be presumptuous and deceiving, if there be no resurrection of the dead. But we have not so learned Christ and his gospel. The religion of the BIBLE is for time and eternity; for godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Christ is the resurrection and the life; he died, not only to redeem men from sin and misery, but, to bring many sons to glory. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. That Almighty God, who first formed man out of the dust of the ground, breathed into him the breath of life, and placed him amidst the charms of an earthly paradise, can, and will, display the exceeding greatness of his power, by raising the bodies of his children from the dust of death, reanimate them with the breath of immortal life, and place them in that celestial paradise above, which never shall be defiled, and never shall be lost.

To a virtuous, thoughtful mind, there will appear a strong connexion between the resurrection and all other truths, both in nature and in revelation, so that they stand or fall together; and a mind devoted to study the works of the Lord, will readily perceive, that what the hand of God performs in the natural world, is designed to teach us what he can, and will do in the moral world. All must be compelled to acknowledge, that tenfold more dreary would be the season of winter, were we not at liberty to anticipate a returning spring; and, incalculably more so would be the dark shades of night, in retiring to our beds, if deprived of the hope of beholding the reviving light of another morning! While, therefore, the ordination of day and night, winter and summer, perfectly accords with the active powers and expectations of human beings in general; so, the possession of life and faith in Christ, with a firm hope of a resurrection from the dead to everlasting life, founded upon the ordination of God in the Scriptures of truth, inspires ardor, and prompts the children of God in the performance of those moral and religious duties which are honorable to our nature, and beneficial to our fellow creatures. If some men say, how are the dead raised up? we reply, by the power of God which first created us; and which raised Christ from the dead; and whose hand changes the night into day, and winter into summer; for he that successively performs the one, teacheth us thereby, that he can and will perform the other. While infidelity may sneer at the subject, we are confident, upon the solid ground both of reason and religion, that it is intimately connected with the dignity of man, our activity in life, the truth of revelation, and the display of Jehovah's glory.