mitted again to pass through a scene of mental fuffering. God, in mercy to him, appeared for his relief. He removed the darknefs, which had enveloped his mind, feperated his foul from the prison of the body, and introduced it, as we trust, to an eternal and unclouded day. The last hours of his life were worthy of his character. They were employed in devotional exercises, in expreffions of confidence in God, and perfect fubmiffion to his will.*

An afflicted family, a bereaved church, a weakened band of brethren in the gospel, and the friends of Chrift, who have heard his praise, or been benefited by his labours, remain to mourn his lofs.

To the widow we would, on this melancholy occafion, address the confolations of that religion, which she has long profeffed to believe. You, madam, have been accustomed to pass through scenes of fuffering. You have found God faithful to his promises. He has, in times past, been your supporter, and brought you from the furnace of affliction. Truft in him, and he will continue to bless you. Though he has taken the huf

* Dr. Buckminster left this town the 2d of June. His complaints first appeared alarming to his friends the preceding day. This was the first time, that he had been incapable of attending upon the duties of his office. He preached the day before to his own parish, and administered the Lord's Supper. For more than two days before his death, the friends, who accompanied him, ftate, that his mind was compofed. He was not thought by them to be dangerously fick, before the morning of the day, on which he died. He spent a great part of the two days previous to his death in prayer. He died at Readfborough, Ver. June 10, of a mortification of the bowels: and was refpe&tfully interred at Bennington the next day. The Rev. Mr. Marfh of that town preached an appropriate Sermon on the occafion. The inhabitants teflified their refpect to his character, and expreffed their fympathy with the afflicted widow.

Band, on whom you hoped to lean for fupport, he has left you children to care for your happiness, and to fuftain you in the evening of your life. Be grateful for the bleffings, which remain, and throw your cares upon the Lord. Remember the inftruetions and confolations, which, in former scenes of affliction, your deceased husband gave you, and you will not want my feeble endeavours to guide your reflections. The widow's God ftill lives, and will fupport you.

The children demand, and have our deepeft fympathy. Scarcely had you obtained a moment to compofe your feelings after the lofs of a brother, who was the pride of the literature of our country, and an ornament of the religion of Jefus, before you were called to a new scene of woe.* You were called by the infcrutable providence of God to receive the overwhelming intelligence, that your guide and guardian was no more; that your father flept in death. Few have poffeffed fuch friends; few have been called, under circumstances of fo deep distress, to mourn their loss. Be grateful for the legacy of their examples ; be grateful, that they have left characters complété and unbroken. But I muft defift. He must be infenfible to the strong emotions of the foul, who can believe that earthly friends, can afford that fupport, which you require. I commend you to God; He can and will comfort you. He is faying to you, WHAT I DO, YOU KNOW NOT NOW, BUT YOU SHALL KNOW HEREAFTER. BE OF GOOD COURAGE, AND HE SHALL STREN GTHEN YOUR HEART.

*The Rev. Jofeph S. Buckminster, paftor of the church in Brattlestreet, Bofton, died June 9th, after a diftreffing fickness of lefs than a week. The news of his father's death was given to the family on the 15th of the

fame month.

;

We would mingle our tears with the bereaved and afflicfed church. He, who broke to you the bread of life, has left you forever, He, who led in your devotions, and brought to you the messages of Jefus Chrift, is filenced by death. The word of God in future you must hear from the lips of strangers. You have been richly bleffed by the Great Head of the Church. He has given you a faithful minister, and continued to you his labours for more than thirty years. You loved him, and his heart was united to you by the tenderest and most facred tics. In the dark hours of his affliction tears of gratitude flowed from his eyes, when he saw himself surrounded by friends, whom he had been inftrumental of introducing into the church of Chrift and when he heard, that their prayers were ascending to heaven to call down bleffings upon his head. Imprefs his excellencies upon your hearts, catch that spirit of piety, by which his character was distinguished, and which influenced all his active powers. Permit not his inftructions to be loft; let them live in your lives, and bring forth fruit to the glory of God. Be inftant in prayer, that you may again be furnished with a paftor, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding, and by his example guide you in the way to heaven. I promise you the fympathy and prayers of good men; and, I trust, you will be fo humbled under the mighty hand of God, that, in his own time, he will exalt you.

The congregation in this place cannot feel uninterested in the folemn event, which has called us into the houfe of our God. It becomes you seriously to inquire, how you have heard, and improved, under the miniftrations of your departed friend and -paftor. He is gone to render account of the manner, in which

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he preached; you must foon anfwer at the bar of God for the manner, in which you have heard. Though dead, he now addres

fes

you by his paft inftructions and example, and intreats you to be followers of Chrift as dear children. He points you to the Saviour, in whom was his truft, and befeeches you to become reconciled to God, that you may be filled with everlasting joy. Particularly are those interested on this occafion, who have enjoyed, and abused the labours of a faithful fervant of Chrift; who have hated knowledge and defpifed reproof. O! that this providence might speak to fuch, as in a voice of thunder, and awaken them from the lethargy of fin to spiritual life. You do not know the pain, which by your neglect of Christ and salvation, you have caufed your deceased paftor to feel; and the tears and prayers, which he has poured out for you in fecret places. You cannot now affect his happiness. He is gone, where forrow and fighing are unknown. Death will foon terminate your probation. Tremble, tremble, for your fituation. I beseech you, be ye reconciled to God, accept the offered mercy, and fly from the wrath to come.

My fathers, and brethren, in the ministry, we ought, and, I trust, do feel a deep interest on this mournful occafion. In this part of our country, where divifions and animofities are breaking up our churches, the lofs, which we are called to deplore, is no fmall calamity. The venerable fervant of Christ, who statedly ministered in this place, was an active, pious, and zealous member of our Affociation. He was ever ready to ftrengthen our hands, and encourage our hearts. With tenderness he reminded us of our faults, and counseled us in our difficulties. He gave spirit and animation to our meetings, and invigorated our exer

tions. To our churches he was a welcome meflenger of Jefus, and he never refused to labour in the fervice of his master. We fhall fee his face no more. The memory of his virtues, I hope, will not be loft, nor his friendly counfels forgotten. At the commencement of the prefent year, he gave us appropriate inftructions on the nature of our calling, and the fpirit, which should animate our labours.* He afforded a bright example of ministerial industry and zeal. He has gone to appear before his Judge. We must foon follow him, and give account of our ftewardship. God grant, that in the hour of death our rejoicing may be, THE

TESTIMONY OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE, THAT IN SIMPLICITY AND GODLY SINCERITY, NOT WITH FLESHLY WISDOM, BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE HAVE HAD OUR CONVERSATION IN THE

WORLD. At that hour may we be enabled to fay with as much truth, as we truft, our departed father and friend could; I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH, HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, WILL GIVE ME IN THAT DAY.

In times like the prefent, under fuch melancholy vifitations of divine providence, as we are called to witness, we are exposed to indulge feelings of defpondency, and to tremble for the ark of

*On the first day of the prefent year Dr. Buckminster preached a Sermon at Hamptonfalls, particularly addreffed to the members of the Affociation. He unfolded the danger, to which Ministers are exposed of neglecting their own hearts, while they preach to others; the neceffity of their poffeffing perfonal holinefs, and of their aiding each other in the duties of their refponfible office by the exercise of candour, charity and love.