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other, though very young, was> yet old enough to exhibit pleasing evidence of sincere piety. Mr. Eliot's youngest son, Benjamin, was settled at Roxbury, and was an assistant to his father for many years; but left the good old gentleman to de

He resigned his children to God with such a sacred serenity, as made all the spectators to say, “ This could not be done without the fear of God." He bore all his trials with an admirable patience; and seemed | loth to have any will of his own, that should not be wholly moulded into the will of his heavenly Father.

The same humble temper discovered itself near his dissolution, as well as at other times. Speaking about the work of | the gospel among the Indians, which we quoted upon another occasion, but take liberty to quote again, in order to introduce something further to illus-plore the loss of him also. trate this part of Mr. Eliot's character, he expressed himself in these very observable terms; " There is a cloud, said he, a dark cloud upon the work of the gospel among the poor Indians. The Lord revive and prosper that work, and grant it may live, when I am dead. It is a work, which I have been doing much, | and long about-But what was the word I spoke last ? I recal However, in these trying: that word, my doings-Alas! | scenes, he had such things to they have been poor, and small | support and console him, as and lean doings; and I'll be the many under similar calamities man that shall throw the first are destitute of; not only a stone at them all." consciousness of his own sinMr. Eliot possessed a wonder - | cerity in religion, and a well ful resignation to the will of established persuasion of an inGod in all events. terest in the gratious and everIn common with other men lasting promises of the gospel; he met with some very heavy but a well grounded and firm trials, which he bore with ex- hope, that all his dear departed emplary submission. Long be- children had entered into eternal fore his own dissolution he was rest; and that those who surcalled to follow to the grave vived, were truly pious, and three of his sons ; one a settled | candidates for heaven. They minister, whose excellent char-all gave such demonstrations of acter was delineated in a former their conversion to God, that number-Another, a tutor of the good old man would someHarvard College, and a candi- times say, with great compladate of the ministry-a most cency; "I have had six chilamiable young man, eminent | dren; and I bless God for his for learning and goodness. The free grace; they are all either with Christ, or in Christ; and and give those who seem to endeav-my mind is now at rest conor it faithfully, the comfort of know-cerning them."-And when ing we think they do ; but never some asked him, how he could tempt one another to forget, we are bear the death of such excellent profitable servants.' Dr. Kippis's Life of Dr. Doddridge prefixed to Fam. Expos.

1.154.

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children, his humble reply to
"My
the question was this ;
desire was, that they should

cerning him, that they were never with him, but they got, or might have got some good by him.

dence that he had made good proficience in the grace of humility. He sought not the praise of men, but that which cometh from God. When most diligent and most successful, and much applauded by good men, and the public in general, for his faithful and incessant labors as a minister, and particularly as a missionary, he desired not to be

From such a frame of spirit it was, that once on a visit, finding a merchant in his counting room, where he saw books of business only on his table, but all his books of devotion on his shelf, he gave this advice to him, Sir, here's earth on the table, and hea-thought of more highly than was ven on the shelf; pray don't sit fit-had a deep sense of his naso mnch at the table as altogether tural and moral imperfections; to forget the shelf; let not earth, and entertained a pious fear, lest by any means, thrust heaven out he himself, or his friends should your mind. Many thousands dorogate from the grace of God. were his occasional reflections in the course of his life.*

Mr. Eliot, on various occasions, exhibited agreeable evi

An honorable person did, once in print, put the name of an Evangelist upon him: Upon which, in a letter of his to that person, afterwards printed, his Such things as have been just redundancy, while you put the "There is a expressions were, mentioned, may be treated by some with contempt, as puritanical. But title of an Evangelist upon me: the age in which Mr. Eliot lived is to I beseech you suppress all such be considered, and the approved usa- things: Let us do, and speak, ges of many of the religious at that and carry all things with hu day. Making reflections of this kind, mility: It is the Lord who has not been infrequent with serious has done, what is done; and it and pious persons in various ages. The learned and devout Robert Boyle is most becoming the Spirit of wrote a book of this kind, with the Jesus Christ, to lift him up and title of "Occasional Reflections," lay ourselves low. I wish that which was very entertaining and in-word could be obliterated."*. structive, and discovered the religious turn of this great and excellent man. It would be happy if such a devout spirit were more generally prevalent in the present age. At the same time, it must be granted, that great regard is to be had to the different ways of pursuing the same general end, which are customary among serious people in different ages. The end is to be kept in view; and such measures to be pursued as are adapted to promote the end The inno

cent taste of those we converse with is to be consulted. However, even at this day, they who have a natural turn for such occasional reflections, may, with some persons, do more good, than by long, labored discoures in another form.

*When I read this, it reminded me of a gentle reproof, given by Dr. Secker, then (if I mistake not) Bishop of London, to a gentleman of eminence, who had praised him and his writings, as he judged, in too complimental a strain: "I return you many thanks, says the Bishop, for your favorable opinion both of my sermon, and its author, though expressed in a manner, which you would have forborne, if you had known me better. Plain men should be treated in a plain way; and no body should have things said to him," which he does not deserve, and ought not to hear, if he did. Let us all endeavor to do what good we can

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The same humble temper discovered itself near his dissolution, as well as at other times. Speaking about the work of the gospel among the Indians, which we quoted upon another Occasion, but take liberty to quote again, in order to introduce something further to illus-plore the loss of him also. trate this part of Mr. Eliot's character, he expressed himself an these very observable terms; "There is a cloud, said he, a dark cloud upon the work of the gospel among the poor Indians. The Lord revive and prosper that work, and grant it may live, when I am dead. It is a work, which I have been doing much, and long about-But what was the word I spoke last? I recal that word, my doings Alas! they have been poor, and small and lean doings; and I'll be the man that shall throw the first stone at them all."

other, though very young, was> yet old enough to exhibit pleasing evidence of sincere piety. Mr. Eliot's youngest son, Benjamin, was settled at Roxbury, and was an assistant to his father for many years; but left the good old gentleman to de

Mr. Eliot possessed a wonderful resignation to the will of God in all events.

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He resigned his children to God with such a sacred serenity, as made all the spectators to say, "This could not be done without the fear of God." He bore all his trials with an admirable patience; and seemed loth to have any will of his own, that should not be wholly moulded into the will of his heavenly Father.

However, in these trying scenes, he had such things to support and console him, as many under similar calamities are destitute of; not only a consciousness of his own sincerity in religion, and a well established persuasion of an interest in the gratious and everlasting promises of the gospel; but a well grounded and firm hope, that all his dear departed children had entered into eternal rest; and that those who survived, were truly pious, and candidates for heaven. They

In common with other men he met with some very heavy trials, which he bore with exemplary submission. Long before his own dissolution he was called to follow to the grave three of his sons; one a settled minister, whose excellent char-all gave such demonstrations of acter was delineated in a former their conversion to God, that number-Another, a tutor of the good old man would someHarvard College, and a candi- times say, with great compladate of the ministry-a most cency; "I have had six chilamiable young man, eminent dren; and I bless God for his for learning and goodness. The free grace; they are all either with Christ, or in Christ; and and give those who seem to endeav-my mind is now at rest conor it faithfully, the comfort of know-cerning them."-And when ing we think they do ; but never some asked him, how he could tempt one another to forget, we are bear the death of such excellent nprofitable servants.” Dr. Kippis's Life of Dr. Dod- children, his humble reply to dridge prefixed to Fam. Expos. the question was this; 1.154. desire was, that they should

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Christ in the following respects, of God and afflicted. He was a 1. In preference to his broth- man of sorrows and acquainted er Esau, when as yet the chil- with grief-but this was the way dren had done neither good nor marked out in the eternal counevil, that the purpose of God sels of infinite wisdom, to his according to election might highest advancement, his everstand, it was said, The elder shall lasting glory and felicity. Beserve the younger, Jacob have cause he humbled himself, and I loved and Esau have I hated. became obedient to death, ëven Ye children of Jacob his chosen, the death of the cross, God In preference to all the angels hath highly exalted him, and above and men below, is not given him a name which is Christ God's servant, whom he above every name; that at the will uphold, his elect in whom name of Jesus every knee should his soul delighteth? bow and that every tongue should confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Fa ther.

2. The life of Jacob was full of anxiety, care and sorrow. As an exile did he leave his father's house with his staff grievously did he serve with Laban, consumed by the drought by day, and by the frost by night great were his apprehensions from Laban and Esau-pungent was his sorrow for his Rachel, his Joseph, his Simeon and his Benjamin and great were the things of his heart about going down and journeying in Egypt. Himself most faithfully gave the history of his life in the following impressive description, Few and evil have been the days of the years of my pilgrimage -but this for him was the right way to honor and peace in the closing scene of life, and that blessed condition where eminently the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. In circumstances of life, how great the resemblance between the patriarch Jacob, and Christ the Saviour? Persecuted in his infant state, humble in the private walks of life, despised and rejected of men, abandoned to the powers of darkness and forsaken of his God. It pleased the Lord to bruise him. We esteemed him stricken, smitten

S. Shall the distress of Jacob and his wrestling with the angel, when his brother Esau was coming against him with four hundred men, remind us of the agony of Christ in the garden, when he was assailed by the powers of darkness, and Judas with his band was coming against him, with lanterns and torches, and weapons?

4. Jacob had twelve sons, the heads of their houses, from whom the whole nation arose

and Christ had twelve apos→ tles, on which as on twelve foun dations the church is built, himself being the chief corner stone.

5. From Jacob, surnamed Israel, the nation were called Israelites and from Christ, the peculiar people, the holy nation, were called Christians.

Jacob may also be considered as a figure of all the Israel of God. Like him they are a chosen generation-like him they cheerfully relinquish sensual enjoyments for the birthright and the blessing, for Christ the pearl of great price. His receiving the blessing from his

father Isaac, may represent their receiving spiritual blessings from God their heavenly Father; and his dying in Egypt and being buried in Canaan, may denote, their dying in this world, being conveyed by an gels to Abraham's bosom and resting in heaven.

2. When God brought the woman to Adam, he said, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh-And believers are members of Christ's body, and of his flesh, and of his bones.

3. Marriage constitutes à oneness between the parties. Two, saith he, shall be one flesh-And the church joined to the Lord, is more, is one spirit.

4. Marriage introduces the most cordial and tender affection and mutual sympathy between the husband and the wife

Christ and his church is mutual
and endearing-I am my belo-
ved's and my beloved is mine,
his desire is towards me.
I was
in his eyes as one that found fa-
vor. In all their affliction he
was afflicted and the angel of his
presence saved them.

In this place, permit the illustration of a type which hath - not yet been considered, The Institution of Marriage. That this was designed to typify the union and relation between Christ and his church, is very manifestAnd the affection between from the frequent application of it to this subject, in the holy scriptures. O backsliding children, I am married unto you, saith the Lord. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. And that this representation might be as perfect as the nature of the subjects would permit, it pleased God to form the wife, the woman, of the man. Eve was formed of Adam. And is it not worthy of notice, that the patriarchs, those eminently typical characters, took themselves wives within the limits of consanguinity? Sarah, the wife of Abraham, was probably Iscah, the daughter of his brother Haran. Gen. xi. 29. Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, and Milcah, the sister of Sarah. Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob, were the daughters of Laban, the brother of Rebekah. Was not this a designed continuation of the type from Adam? We may observe the resemblance in the following particulars :

1. God said of Adam, It is not good for man that he should be alone And the church is the fulness of Christ.

5. Marriage constitutes a most endearing relation between the husband and the wife-Abraham said of Sarah, Indeed she is my sister, the daughter of my father but not of my mother, and she became my wife And Christ calls the church, his sister, his spouse.

6. Jacob loved Rachel. He served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep-And Christ loved the church and purchased it with his own blood.

7. The husband is the head of the wife-And the Lord is the head of the church.

8. The wife, the woman, is the glory of the man-And the church is the glory of Christ.

9. The bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride-And Christ rejoiceth over his church. He will joy with singing; yea, he will rest in his love. Praise ye the Lord.

Amen.

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