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comfort, and make us more meet for an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Thus our excellent moral poet defcribeth the effect which the death of our friends fhould have upon us:

Our dying friends come o'er us like a cloud,
To damp our brainless ardours, and abate
That glare of life which often blinds the wife.
What faith this tranfportation of my friends?
It bids me love the place where now they dwell,
And fcorn this wretched fpot they leave fo poor.
-Thus fmitten friends

Are angels fent on errands full of love:
For us they languish, and for us they die.
And fhall they languish, fhall they die, in vain ?

5. Let us be thankful for our friends yet living, and faithfully perform our duty to them.

Let us praife God that all our friends and lovers are not put far from us; that, though we have been vifited with breach upon breach, and forrow upon forrow, and may have furvived moft of our friends, yet we are not quite defolate. Though many channels of pleasure are dried up, others are yet open. Our furviving friends do not, like

* Night-Thoughts..

like Heman's, defert us when we want their fympathy and affiftance moft; but ftill love us, and are ready to pity, comfort and ferve us. We are indebted for this to a kind Providence, which, in the midst of judgment, remembers mercy. Let us be careful to put a due value upon our living friends. There have been inftances of perfons who have grieved fo much for the loss of one relation or friend, that they could take no comfort in thofe that were left; could never rejoice with them, nor fo much as look cheerful any more. Such a conduct is very ungrateful to God, highly indecent in itself, very unkind to furviving friends, * and extremely injurious to the mourners Because God hath put one friend far from them, they themselves put away all the reft; and then, perhaps, are frequently complaining that they have not a friend left. It is our wifdom and duty to maintain fuch a command of our paffions, and fuch a refpect and affection for our remaining friends, that their friendship may, in fome degree at leaft, make up the want of what we have loft.

themselves.

ourfelves friendly to them,

Let us fhow cheerful with them,

them, thankful for their vifits, tender of their comfort and reputation, and diligent in ferving them. Let us rejoice with them in their profperity, fympathize with them under their forrows, and, in a word, "love them as our own fouls."-Further: Let us make the best improvement of our friendships, fince we fee how precarious they are. Let our converfe and correfpondence be serious and edifying, that we may adminifter grace to one another. Let us ftrengthen one another's hands in God, and ferve one another in love, especially in our best interests. If our confciences accufe us of any neglect in these branches of duty, with regard to thofe friends who are put from us, let us be more cautious and active in performing them to thofe who furvive.-Finally: While we are taking comfort in our friends, let us remember they are dying comforts; that, however dear they are to us, a parting time will come, and may come very soon. The Apoftle fets before us the great leffons we are to learn from this reflection: "The time is hort. They who have wives should be as though they had none; they that weep, as though they wept not; they that

rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; for the fashion of this world paffeth away." If we act upon thefe advices, the feparating stroke will be lefs painful; and a foundation will be laid for an eternal friendship in the heavenly regions, in which there will be no danger of feparation or interruption any more.I only add,

6. Let us make fure of a friend who will never leave us ;"

Even the Almighty and Everlafting God. Many fignal honours were

Abraham; but this was the Conferred upon

greatest-that " he was called the friend of God." If God be not our friend, we shall be inevitably miferable, if all the princes of the earth were our friends. The common relation of pious friends to the bleffed God, in and through Jefus Chrift, the band of union, addeth the chief joy to their mutual friendfhip.- Let me exhort and urge thofe who are enemies to God in their minds by wicked works to renounce their enmity, and return to him by fincere repentance. Let me befeech them to "acquaint themfelves with God, and be at peace; and Cc

fo

fo good fhall come unto them." But let them remember, that Jefus Chrift is the only way of access to the Father; that, through faith in his atoning blood, peace may be made, and, through his mediation, a delightful, lafting friendship established, between a holy God and penitent believers. No other friend can appeafe a guilty confcience, heal a diftempered mind, compofe and cheer a troubled fpirit, ease a dying body, and make happy a departed foul. "In his favour is life; and in his prefence is fulness of joy." Let good men value the friendship of God as their highest honour and happiness; keep it inviolate, and live and die upon it. If earthly relations and friends die and forsake you, it is your misfortune; but if God forfake you, it is your fault: for "the Lord is with you while you are with him." Let it be your care and ambition to love him with all your heart, to live always near to him, and maintain communion with him. View him every day in his works; converse with him in his word and ordinances; correfpond with him by prayer and thanksgiving; plead his caufe; efpoufe his interest;

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