it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, none confidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come; that it is for their good they are removed, and that there are evil times coming on, they are taken from; it is to their profit and advantage, but to the loss of those who survive; who, as they live to fee troublefom times, want their prefence, counsel and affiftance: hence fuch a complaint from one that marked these things; Help, Lord; for the godly man ceafeth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men: the happy exit of fuch may deferve fpecial regard and attention; which leads me to confider,

III. The reafon affigned why fuch fhould be marked and obferved, and which is expreffive of their future happiness; for the end of that man is peace; or there is an end to the man of peace: and many verfions render it, the man of peace, or peaceable man; particularly the Syriac verfion, there is a good end to men of peace; and fo it carries on the description of the good man as a peaceable man. He is a man of peace, who enjoys much peace; the kingdom of God within him is peace and joy in the holy Ghoft; he is filled with peace through believing in Chrift; he has much peace with God through him, arifing from a view of juftification by his righteousness, pardon by his blood, and atonement by his facrifice; yea, he is kept in perfect peace, having his mind ftayed on the Lord, and his heart trusting in him; he enjoys a peace which paffeth all understanding, which he has in Chrift, and from him, and amidst all the tribulations that attend him in this world; and which the world neither gives, nor takes away. He finds much peace of mind in waiting upon God, and worshipping him in the feveral duties of religion, both in private and public; in all the ways of Chrift, which are ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace: he partakes of those joys and pleasures which a carnal man is a ftranger to, and intermeddles not with. And he likewife follows after peace with all men, and after thofe things which make for it; he endeavours to cultivate it every where, in the church, and in the world; and as much as in him lies, and if poffible, would live peaceably with all mankind; peace rules in his heart, and is the temper and difpofition of his mind.

But the better reading of the words, and what gives the beft fenfe of them, is, that the good man's end is peace; his latter end, as the word is fometimes rendered; the latter part of his life, as Job's was. Bildad told him, that were he pure and upright, his latter end fhould greatly increase; and as he was, fo it did, the Lord bleffed the latter end of Job more than his beginning; in both which places the fame word ' is used, as here and fometimes the last days of a good

man are more peaceable, profperous, and happy than the first part of his life is: but however, if this is not the cafe, if his tribulations continue to the end of his days, and through many he enters into the kingdom of heaven, peace is the iffue of all; he goes away in peace, as old Simeon defired he might; and if not in a transport of joy, in a triumph over death and the grave, faying, O death! where is thy fting? O grave! where is thy victory? The fting of death is fin, the ftrength of fin is the law; bnt thanks be to God, which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift; yet he goes off in ferenity and tranquillity of mind, trusting in the Redeemer, and defirous of being with him. And as foon as he is departed, he enters into peace, into the joy of his Lord; into his prefence, in whofe prefence is fulness of joy, and at whofe right hand are pleasures for evermore. There will be nothing then to difturb his peace; no pricking briar, nor grieving thorn, in all the heavenly country he is gone into; no more fin and corruption in his own heart to distress him; no more any of Satan's temptations to annoy him; no more of the reproach, rage, and perfecutions of wicked men to moleft him; there the wicked ceafe from troubling; and there the weary be at rest1: there is every thing that contributes to peace; there is the God of peace, that will be with him for ever; there is the Prince of peace, that has made peace for him by his blood; there is the holy Spirit, whose fruit is peace; there are the angels of peace, who at Chrift's incarnation fung glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good-will unto men; and there are the faints, the fons of peace, with whom he fhall live for ever and there will be every thing that can come under the notion of peace and happiness; there will be perfect health of body and foul, and length of days, for ever and ever; no more pain, fickness, forrow, and death; there will be riches and honour; riches of glory, an eternal weight of glory, a crown and throne of glory, an everlasting kingdom, prepared from the foundation of the world; a paradife of pleasure, blifs, and joy, inconceivable and inexpreffible. This is the end of the perfect and upright man.

Now if any man may be faid to be perfect and upright, in the fenfe in which I have explained these characters, as I doubt not there are many, the person whofe death has occafioned this discourse may be faid to be the man; and who was an ornament to the Diffenting intereft in general, and to the Baptift denomination in particular, of which denomination he was.

I fear I fhall not be able to do juftice to the character of this worthy gentleman, for want of fufficient knowledge of him; for though I have had the honour to be acquainted with him for fome years paft; yet by reafon of distance of habitation, and having but feldom an opportunity of converfation with him,, b. Ezek. xxviii. 24. 1 Job iii. 17.

81 Cor. xv. 55-57

Luke ii. 14..

I am

I am not fo well qualified to give you his true portrait, as a gentleman and a christian; however, what from my own obfervation, and the information of others, I will give you the best account of him I can.

Mr SEWARD was a gentleman of fine natural parts and good fenfe; he had a peculiar sweetness of temper, scarce ever known to be ruffled, discompofed, fretful and impatient, upon any occafion; which fingular good nature, as it is commonly called, adorned with the grace of God, fet him in a most amiable light, and caused him to shine in a moft pleafing manner to all that knew him. He had the advantage of a liberal education, first begun in Westminster school, and then carried on in the University of Cambridge; where, as I am informed, he took a degree, and was defigned for fervice in the Established Church, in which he was brought up; but this was fruftrated by a call in Providence from thence to another employment in life.

When it pleased God effectually to call him by his grace, through confulting the facred scriptures, and his own experience, as well as the writings of learned and godly men, he embraced and profeffed a set of principles, glorious in themfelves, calculated to fecure and increase spiritual peace and comfort, and to promote true and undefiled religion, and powerful godlinefs; and upon the fame plan he received the doctrine of adult baptism, and submitted to the ordinance of it, an ordinance greatly despised by men; in which he acted the selfdenying part, as well as in joining himself in the communion of a small society of chriftians, of the Baptift denomination, mean and despicable in the eyes of men; and this he publicly did before the whole world, as not being afhamed of Christ, his gofpel, ordinances and people; efteeming reproach for Chrift's fake greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt.

Humility, that truly christian grace, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which fo much adorns the believer, was eminently confpicuous in him; he was affable and courteous to the meaneft perfon; would condefcend to men of low eftate, and submit to thofe that were inferior to him, efteeming others better than himfelf; not elated either with the affluence of life he was poffeffed of, or with his natural or acquired abilities, or his fpiritual gifts; knowing from whom he received them; and therefore would not glory as though he had received them not.

As he was bleffed with plenty of this world's good things, and fo capable of relieving the diftreffed; his ears were open to the cries and requests of the poor; his heart fympathized with them in their troubles; his hand was ready to diftribute to their neceffities; he was a chearful giver, and took delight in every opportunity to do good; which he did to all, without refpect to parties, having an heart benevolent to all mankind; which gained him the universal esteem of all that had knowledge of him.

In

In his last illness he was calm and fedate, ftill and quiet, patient, and perfectly submissive and refigned to the will of God; not at all reluctant to death, or in any fear of it; entirely dependent on Chrift as his Saviour, and wholly looking to him for eternal life and falvation. In a vifit I paid him, upon asking him how his faith stood, he replied, "his only view was to JESUS, and his trust was "in him, knowing there was no other way to life and happiness; but added, "that believing in Chrift was a thing fometimes not fo clear and manifeft;" to which I replied, "it might be known, for to them that believe, Chrift is pre"cious; and as he is precious to every one that believes, fo to whomsoever he "is precious, that man does believe, or has true faith in Chrift." He obferved, that this was an argument which he himself had made ule of, to persuade some fearful chriftians that they did believe; and feemed greatly affected with it. I added, I hoped he would make ufe of the argument in his own favour. To a Reverend Minister that afterwards vifited him, he declared, "that could he enjoy health and honour, and all the grandeur and good things of this world, they would be all nothing to him in comparison of a well-grounded hope of "eternal glory and happiness." As he had no immediate apprehenfions of death, till he was at once feized by it, nothing dropped from him concerning that,the laft words he was heard to utter in a broken and almost inarticulate manner, were, "Dear Jefus,-Come-Come." Thus, without any violent struggle of nature, or any fhew of concern and uneafinefs at death, this precious fervant of Chrift fell asleep in Jesus.

66

The lofs of him is great indeed! A lofs to his furviving relative, to whom he was a moft indulgent husband, a moft delightful companion, and a sympathizing partner in her afflictions; may the Lord fanctify it to her, and fupport her under it! A lofs to his dear children, to whom he was a tender and affectionate parent; who, by his bright example, hearty counfel, and wife directions and inftructions, might have been of still greater advantage to them, had it pleased God to have continued him longer with them: May they tread in his steps, and copy after him! A lofs to his poor neighbours and others, both in the church and in the world, to whom he was a chearful benefactor. A lofs to the whole intereft of Chritt, of which he was an ornament and fupport! He himself indeed is the gainer, and fo is the church triumphant; which hereby has one more added to its shining number, which make that general affembly and church of the firft-born, whofe names are written in heaven.

To conclude: Let it be inquired whether thefe characters of perfect and upright belong to you, that have been hearing this difcourfe: are you partakers of the true grace of God? Have you a genuine faith in Jefus Chrift, a good hope through grace of falvation by him, and a fincere love unto him? Have you reaVOL. I. 3 U

The Rev. Mr Jofeph Stennett, fenior.

fon

fon to believe that the righteoufnefs of Chrift is imputed to you, and you have interest in it, and are acceptable to God through it? Have you had clean hearts created, and right fpirits renewed in you? And have you been enabled in any good measure to walk uprightly? And is it the defire of your souls, and the business of your lives to exercife a confcience void of offence towards God and men? Then, notwithstanding the imperfection that otherwise attends you, you are in a gospel-fense perfect and upright; and which you should ascribe to the grace of God, and be thankful for it.

Have you confidered the men that bear these characters, as you should? When you behold them, do you find an affection for them, and does it create in you an esteem of them? Are you defirous of, and in fome measure helped to imitate them, in whatsoever is praife-worthy in them? Have you observed the end of their conversation, and the iffue of their holy lives, which is peace? Then may you hope that this alfo will be your end; which cannot but be a defirable one. Even Balaam defired to die the death of the righteous, and wifhed his laft end might be like bis : Such who truly believe in Chrift, and look to him for righteousness and life, fhall receive the end of their faith, even the falvation of their fouls".

Occafioned by the Death of Mr JOHN DAVENPORT. Preached O. 13, 1754

JOB XXXIII. 24.

Then he is gracious unto him, and faith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.

HE occafion of my reading these words to you at this time, is the decease of Mr JOHN DAVENPORT, late member and deacon of this church; which by fome circumstances were thought to be much upon his mind of late, and of fingular ufe to him; and therefore were judged proper to be the subject of a funeral difcourfe..

The