From Sinai's mount he founds a loud aların; And next poor fouls with gospel-tidings charm. He could the faints perplexities well trace, And in all straits afford them great folace.. Souls exercis'd concerning fin or grace, May in his works find what will fute their cafe. There he propounds and folves each cafe he heard; To faints a mighty casuist appear'd. • A skilful counseller in each dark cafe; A hearty sympathizer in distress. Was ready ftill at hand, without request, To ferve the fick, and fuccour the distrest. His doctrine ev'ry gloomy shade dispell'd; His exhortations more and more excell'd. This ministerial grace to him was given, To leave on many hearts a feal of heaven.'
Death! thou devourer of the human race! Must such a champion great to thee give place! May't thee suffice some lesser light to quell, Than strike the pillars of our Ifrael? Must ERSKINE too! that man of great renown, Be foil'd by thee, and to the dust brought down? Must such a light, that blaz'd fo far abroad, Be made to yield to thy fuperior nod! Must fuch a Christian herald too give place, So well acquainted both with law and grace? Divinely taught in all the truths of God, And did with freedom publish them abroad? Yes, yes! He must! - He's gone!-Erskine's no more! Grim death hath fnatch'd him to the distant shore!- These hands, elated oft to heav'n in purity, All filent in the tomb now stretch'd doth ly.- Is't possible for our rude quill to tell, How Scotland fhook when this great pillar fell? ' Heav'n fure design'd by fuch a dreadful blow, No perfonal, but public overthrow. Lo! now his death has hid the fulgent light, And wrapt us in the shades of gloomy night!'-
IS ERSKINE dead! No, fure: the man of God still [lives
Poffeffes heav'n, in glory ftill survives.
The bliss and glory he proclaim'd around, Both now concentre to compose his crown. Immortaliz'd, he fhines above the sky; Regal'd with heav'nly cheer must sumptously. The blessed Jesus in those regions high, He views, not vail'd; but most confpicoufly. Eternal blessedness he reaps in store; With heav'nly pleasures cherish'd evermore; With endless wealth, and righteousness divine, A glorious crown, most brilliantly to shine, He now enjoys, with robes most pure and fine : Yea, Gon himself, with fulness all-complete, Compose that happiness to him most sweet. Delightful portion! from all harm fecure, Refresh'd with rivers chrystaline and pure. Such foul-delights to him shall ever last; These joys for which he did so strongly thirst.
MUCH fam'd on earth, renoun'd for piety; A midst bright seraphs now fings chearfully. Sacred thine anthems yield much pleasure here: These fongs of thine do truly charm the ear *. E ach line thou wrotst does admiration raise; Rouse up the foul to true seraphic praife.
Religioufly thy life below was spent : A mazing pleasures now thy foul content. Long didst thou labour in the church below, Pointing out Christ, the Lamb who saves from wo, Heav'n's blessedness on finners to bestow.
ERSKINE the great! whose pen spread far abroad, Redeeming love; the fole device of God. S ubstantial themes thy thoughts did much purfue; Kept pure the truth, espous'd but by a few.
Integrity of heart, of foul ferene; No friend to vice, no cloke to the profane: E mploy'd thy talents to reclaim the vain.
* Alluding to his poetical pieces.
Is this the Man whom Heav'n design'd, With honours full to load? With what enliv'ned fouls should we Adore and serve our God?
And if we would those blessings share, Which makes the faints rejoice;
All vice abstain, all virtue love, And inake this God our choice.
Let us for ever bless the name Of this exalted King, That any of the human tribe
Heav'n's anthems high do fing.
GLASGOW, April 15th, 1765.
The Rent Vail of the Temple; or, Access to the Holy of Holies by the death of Christ,
MAT. xxvii. 15. And, behold the vail of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom.
The words being analized and explained, and their proper figni- fication being ascertained, the following general heads of method are illustrated, viz.
1. What that vail is that interpofed between God and us enquired
into,
2. How the death of Christ hath rent that vail,
3. In what manner the vail is rent,
4. For what end the vail is rent, narrated,
5. Inferences deduced for application,
The SECOND doctrine is, That purity is an excellent thing and of obfolute neceffity to denominate a true saint, a true Christian. And from this proposition the following general heads of method are prosecuted, viz.
1. The nature of this purity, opened up,
2. Some of the qualities of it, mentioned,
The THIRD doctrine is, That felf-conceit is incident to a multitude of profeffors. In the illustration of which proposition, the follow-
ing general heads of method are handled, viz.
Ком. хіі. 2. Вe not conformed to this world.
The connexion, scope, and explication of the words being difcuffed, and a doctrinal obfervation laid down, the following heads of method are proposed,
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