devoutly considered and devoutly recited, will effectually remove all unavailing sorrow and regret, and will turn our thoughts and endeavours towards the more useful exercises of repentance, in order to our meeting again to dwell for ever with the Lord. In the introduction of this Collect or Prayer, we declare our certainty of the Resurrection of all true believers to eternal life, and assign a reason from St. Paul, why we should not grieve immoderately, like infidels, who have no hope. "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him." Still, Christianity does not forbid the shedding of some pious tears. It is for those to be immoderate in their grief, who have no mixture of hope to alleviate and allay their sorrow. We may well express our love to our departed friends and relations, so it be within the bounds of moderation, and provided it does not make us forget those divine comforts with which religion refreshes us. We are naturally troubled at the death of our friends, because of our loss in parting with them, but not without hope of meeting them again. By that we are perplexed: by this we are comforted. On that side our infirmity affects us: on this side our faith revives us. On that side we lament the condition of man: on this we are cheered by the promises of God. This is properly followed by supplications for ourselves. We meekly beseech our heavenly Father to raise us from the death of sin, unto the life of righteousness, and that when we shall depart this life, we may rest in Christ: we pray to be quickened, and made alive with new life, communicated by the Holy Spirit; and being thus raised in conformity to our risen Lord, that we may, by means of that relation between him and us, which divine grace has established, look upon his resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God, as the certain pledge and security of our own, when we shall rest in peace, and be permitted to share in eternal felicity. We express a hope that the departed now committed to the ground, doth so rest with the Lord let it be considered that there are very different degrees of hope, the lowest of which is but one remove from despair. The church does not mean to assert that all the persons over whose remains her Burial service is read, are saved; but not pre : tending a positive and absolute certainty of their final state, she charitably hopes the best we may have some, though very faint hopes of their salvation—we are not sure it is impossible. Again, : we are often said to hope that which we only wish or desire, but yet have not particular grounds to believe. However, let us suppose the men who take exception at this passage, were left at liberty to omit it to any particular person which they were to bury, surely they would be much at a loss which were the men and women of whose resting in Christ they could have no hope at all, since none can set bounds to God's mercy. Our blessed Lord severely checked the Jews for their presumptuous censure of some that they supposed to die in their sins, and we are expressly commanded to judge nothing before the time. We may grant that all professed Christians do not sleep in Christ, but we cannot certainly know the state of particular persons. The church instructs the bystander to pray that he may be raised from the death of sin here, without which he cannot hope for a happy death, or a joyful resurrection; in vain do we hope to be found acceptable at the last day, if we do not serve and please God now; the good man and humble believing Christian has his heaven begun in the peace of his own conscience, and he is going where it will be completed; he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. The time will come when the Son of Man, even he who appeared in human nature, will be manifested in his divine glory, attended by all the holy angels as his servants and worshippers, and then he will sit upon |