A SERMON,

&c. &c.

PSALM XC. v. 14.

O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon; so shall we rejoice, and be glad all the days of our life.

I HAVE selected these words for my text of this day, in consequence of the recent death of one whom I should not wish to go down to the grave, where all things are said to be forgotten, without some memorial of her life and conversation upon earth. I allude to the Widow Kelly. It is not my practice to preach what are termed funeral sermons, because, with very few exceptions, I hold it to be inconvenient and unsatisfactory. If (to speak after the manner of men) the deceased be worthy of that praise which the minister of the Gospel must be ever anxious to have the power of bestowing, it certainly is grateful to the wounded

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hearts of sorrowing and bereaved relatives, to hear the virtues and graces of a Christian life dwelt upon, and the hope of reward, through the merits of a Redeemer, held out; being the only real consolation of the dying, and of those who mourn for them. "I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, from henceforth, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours." But the minister has great need to be cautious, lest, while his charity prompts him to indulge in kindly feelings, he should say anything to offend a weak brother. He will remember that there is another and more important consideration, than that of using words of comfort, for the sake of upholding the fainting spirits of surviving friends; he ought to be careful to say nothing which can by any possibility lead to wrong conclusions, either as regards the immediate sufferers, or his auditors generally. What is peace to some may be no peace to others. Observations made on the dead may be applied to themselves by the living, with very baneful effects. In speaking of the worthiness of the departed, ignorant and irreligious persons may be in danger of misinterpreting the just eulogy of the minister, and suppose that with all the errors and infirmities which flesh is heir to, a claim is being set up on the ground of merit before God; and looking in

the glass which reflects their own character, they will perhaps go away, forgetting entirely what manner of men they are. So deceitful is the heart of man, that in listening to the praises bestowed on a deceased friend, there is considerable danger of his making a false estimate of his own position, both as regards his conduct here and his hopes hereafter. Further, as we should be careful to say nothing, on occasions like the present, which might be so construed as to become detrimental to our auditors; so we should endeavour to speak only what may tend to their everlasting benefit.

Having by these observations guarded myself, as far as is in my power, from any erroneous conclusions which might be drawn from such subjects as will form my present discourse, I may add, both in justice to the deceased and in justification of myself, that in the case before us, I am in a great measure relieved from those embarrassing considerations which on some occasions might suggest themselves. For I have but a simple tale to tell; but, at the same time, one which, I trust, will afford matter for self-improvement to us all.

The poor widow who has long lived and lately died amongst us, though walking in what may be called a very humble sphere, has adorned that

station of life in which she was born, with what I call true Christian graces; the result, no doubt, of sincere prayer to God, for that spiritual aid, without which, she was well aware, she could do nothing. The supplication expressed in the words of the text, I verily think, never issued from the mouth of a more humble, meek, and sincere believer in the great truths of our holy religion. "O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon; so shall we rejoice, and be glad all the days of our life." That the truth of these words was verified in her, I could appeal to many now present, and ask if they ever saw any person under her peculiar circumstances, or, indeed, under any circumstances, so uniformly happy? She might be said to “rejoice and be glad all the days of her life." Notwithstanding an illness of five years' continuance, during which her sufferings were occasionally very great, I never heard, during my attendance upon her, a single murmur escape her lips; on the contrary, she seemed to think she never could in words, sufficiently forcible, express the grateful feelings of her heart. A spirit of thankfulness and prayer characterized her latter days; no pains of body ever cast a gloom on her serene and cheerful countenance, or checked for a moment the pious current of her thoughts; they ran on continually in one undeviating course of