Sherlock. SHERLOCK, it is too peculiar to be drawn into example.—But what would this gentleman say of those, who, loose to all connections with their parish minister, &c. would leave a SHERLOCK, nay, and esteem him a legal preacher, without unction, &c. &c. to hear a butcher, or a weaver, a man without any learning, nay, a stranger to his own mother tongue. Sudden Death. CHAPTER IX. -Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin : SHAKSPEARE. In the Liturgy of the Church of England, we pray God to deliver us from sudden death; that is, as her best divines have always explained it, and as reason clearly understands it, from a death sudden and unlooked for; from a death instantaneous and unexpected; for which no provision has been made, which finds the soul utterly unprepared, and sends the unhappy mortal to eternity, with all his imperfections on his head! A death like this is doubtless to be deprecated, more than the wide-wasting pestilence, or the devouring sword. Sudden Death. On the other side, to the good man, to the soul conscious of its frail dependence here, and properly careful to secure its interest in the world beyond the grave, a sudden death is so far from an evil, that it appears rather a blessing; and in this view hath been earnestly wished by many men of exemplary piety. Indeed, strictly speaking, there is no such thing as sudden death to us, who, as soon as we are born, begin to draw to our end; who breathe this sublunary air, as temporary strangers, existing only awhile upon the bounty of Providence ; and assured that the moment will come shortly, may come instantly, when the Lord of Life shall summon us into his tremendous presence! And as such is the condition of our being, we cannot properly call that stroke sudden, to live in constant expectation of which is our highest wisdom and duty. Submission to the will of HIM, who is as good as He is wise, is doubtless the best service which such imperfect creatures can pay in every particular; and therefore we act most wisely, when we submit the determination of this point to the Father of Mercies, and wait with resignation either for the momentary stroke, or the Uranius. long and lingering trial, which dismisses us from the stage of life.-This care only should be ours, well to act our parts; that the dismission may be with a plaudit, with the approbation of our Judge. "Yet, yet, oh Father of unutterable Lovethou source of everlasting goodness-yet, if the meanest of thy creatures might be allowed to make his request-if thou wouldst deign to give him liberty of choice-suffer him not, oh! do not suffer him long to languish on the bed of feeble disease, or excruciating pain; nor yet snatch him hence, by an instantaneous stroke, before he has looked his last farewell; and given the final affectionate adieu to all his heart approved, his dearest, tenderest, and most valued friends! He will not call their kind attendance round his bed, the afflicting parade of Death: 'He will rejoice in their sympathetic tenderness; he will struggle to pour forth the voice of consolation and love; he will point to the hope which upholds his soul, the shining pole-star by which he steers, and by which he trusts his dearest friends shall steer into the joyful harbour of eternal rest!the hope, the star, the sun, Jesus Christ, the con Agricola. queror of death, and the destruction of the grave!" Such was the petition of the beloved URANIUS; Heaven heard, and granted his prayer. This day he sickened; the next summoned, and took leave of his friends: perfect in his senses, he saw Death approaching, and saw him unappalled! for he had led his life in continual preparation for the awful event.-On the evening of the third day he closed his eyes, and commended his spirit to God who gave it; and almost without a groan exchanged this mortal for an immortal state! Happy URANIUS-so let me die! or rather, let so let me live," and Death cannot fail to me say, be blessed! How different was the death, and ah, how different was the life, of my neighbour AGRICOLA; whom oft, though in vain, I have endeavoured to wean from the world, and to shew the deceit and delusion of all earthly attachments! But alas, he would not believe! AGRICOLA was a wealthy and laborious farmer: it might, strictly speaking, be said of him, that he rose up early, and late took rest, and eat the bread of carefulness. He prevented the morning's dawn, and called |