OCCASIONAL PIECES

ON THE

DEATH OF FRIENDS.

John xi. 26. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

Quid fibi Saxa cavata,

Quid pulchra volunt Monumenta,
Nifi quòd Res creditor illis

Non mortua, fed data Sommo ?

PRUD.

EPITAPH I. On Mrs. E. B.

F Candour, merit, fense or virtue dies,

IF

Reader, beneath thy feet dead virtue lics;

Yet ftill fhe lives, if worth can eternize.

}

Lives far above the reach of death: But where?
In heav'n, and ev'ry heart that knew her here.
Vain are encomiums; praife is idly spent
On them whofe actions are their monument.
Thrice facred tomb, be loyal to thy trust,
And guard, till Chrift revives her hallow'd duft:
Then, as a faithful steward, safe restore.
The precious treasure thou must keep no more.

EPITAPH II. On Mr. G. WALTON.

I THE debt of nature I have paid,

Which thou must shortly pay:

To learn inftruction from the dead,
Thou breathing taper, ftay.

2 Swifter than thought thy years depart,
My verfe proclaims their hafte :

A moment nearer death thou art,
Than when you read the last.

3 Soon must thy earth to earth be giv'n,
Soon must thou disappear:
Say, reader, is thy heart in heav'n,
And is thy treasure there?

4 Like thee the proftrate dead I view'd,
While in the flesh detain'd:

How differ we? thou 'rt on the road,
I've reach'd my journey's end.

EPITAPH III. On the Death of Mrs. F. T.

Heb. iv. 9.

There remaineth therefore

a Reft for the People of God.

I THE robes of light our fifter wears,
Which emulate the fun,

Should caufe us to fufpend our tears,
And make our anthems rival their's
Who ftand before the throne.
2 Glory to him whofe love constrains,
And faves us by his blood:

3

By virtue of his dying pains,
She finds the reft that ftill remains,

For ev'ry child of God.

In fiery trials day by day

Unfhaken did fhe ftand;

To glory sweetly made her way,
Meek and refign'd as paffive clay,
In her great Potter's hand.

4 Her woes their period have found,
They cannot now enflave,

5

Nor come where endless joys abound,
Nor haunt her peaceful foul beyond
The limit of the grave.

Victorious fhe affumes the wreath,
For conquerors defign'd,

The end of perfevering faith;

And leaves her cares, releas'd by death,

Eternally behind.

6 No more, by Satan's rage pursu'd, Affliction fhalt thou fee;

7

Secure of heav'n for thine abode,
Bleft with the prefence of thy God,
To all eternity.

The happy change that life deny'd,
Affifting death affords;

Behold her at Immanuel's fide,
Unutterably glorify'd,

Immutably the Lord's!

8 O may we too maintain our ground,
From faith to faith go on!
At the last day in Christ be found,
And form the circles that furround,
His everlasting throne!

EPITAPH IV. On the death of Mr. ENOCH
WILLIAMS, August, 1757.

Gen. v. 24. And Enoch walked with God, he was
not, for God took him.

HEARKEN! the Saviour's voice at laft

Invites his fufferer home,

And tells thee all thy toil is past,

But thy reward is come.

2 Till meet for blifs on earth detain'd,
The conqueft thou haft won;

Through much temptation thou haft gain'd
The prize, and reach'd the crown:

3 While fhouting angels chaunt their joys,
And tune their notes the higher,
And clap their wings, for O! thy voice,
Is added to the choir.

4 Of his inheritance above

They hail a faint poffeft:

Made meet, by his Redeemer's love,

To be Jehovah's guest.

5 Swin

5 Swift as an arrow through the air,
The tow'ring spirit flies,
Intrusted to a feraph's care,
And convoy'd to the skies:
6 On the expanded wings of love,
He feeks his high abode,
To meet the happy fouls above,
That are brought home to God.
7 Him they falute with lifted cry,
As foon as enter'd there,
"But for thy favour'd ministry,
Or we had not been here:
8 From pain to glory fummon'd forth,
Thrice welcome from below,

Our fellow-fufferer on earth,
Our fellow angel now!"

9 While humbly he draws near the throne,
The Saviour's chrystal feat;

Gives him the praife, and cafts his crown,
At his redeeming feet.

10 Lifted above the reach of pain,
We foon fhall change our place;
And join Immanuel's fhining train,
And fee his blissful face:

11 Rejoicing in that glorious hope,
We bear his cross below;
We quickly fhall be taken up,
Sublimer joys to know.

12 For our arrival into blifs,

Our friends in glory wait :

Cut fhort thy work in righteoufnefs,
And make their joys compleat!
13 The happy foul whom Jefus gives,
In him to live and die,

Its bleft tranfition fcarce perceives
Into eternity.

14 A fight of him that conquer'd death,
In our laft moments giv'n,

Shall elevate our languid faith,
And charm us into heav'n.

15 Chrift

15 Chrift when expiring Stephen view'd,
He fcorn'd death's utmoft pow'r,
And calmly fell asleep in God,
Amidst the ftony show'r.

16 Affift us, Lord, to walk and live,
In Sion's heavenly road,

17

And then our fouls to thee receive,
When call'd to meet our God.

A little while and we fball foar
To yonder promis'd land,

And meet our brethren gone before,
Enthron'd at thy right hand:

18 Thy praise fhall actuate each tongue,
Thy love our hearts enflame;

And we with them fhall fing the fong
Of Mofes and the Lamb.

EPITAPH V. On Mafter EUSTACE BATEMAN. 1 HAIL, happy youth, so early taken home, Caught up to Jefus from the ill to come : By thy Redeemer fweetly order'd hence, Ere vice had marr'd thy lovely innocence. 2 When twice fix winters he had fcarcely feen, His heav'n-born foul difdain'd to dwell with men: Ardent the crown eternal to receive,

And ripe for heav'n, he only dy'd to live.

EPITAPH VI. On the Death of the Rev. Mr. R. B. Numbers xxiii. 10. Let me die the Death of the Righteous, and let my laft End be like bis.

1 THRICE happy they who fleep in God,
Securely wafted o'er the flood,

To Canaan's peaceful fhore!
Whofe lives were as a daily death,
Who walk'd with God, and liv'd by faith,
And now fhall die no more!

2 Such, gracious Lord, we wish to be;
Such was our paftor, now with thee,

Our