IlIBRARYOF AGiiESr'i # ,-^ 5 #[ i UNITED STATT .LMF.IMCA. J DR. SPRAGUE'S SERMON. OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH HON. STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER. MeltQ(on auTi Manlk: SERMON ADDRESSED TO THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION IN ALBANY, February 3, 1839, THE SABBATH IMMEDIATELY SUCCEEDINri THE FDffERAL OF THB HON. STEPHEN V4N RENSSELAER. Bv WILLIAM B. SPRAGUE, D.D. u MINISTER OF THE SAID CONGREGATION. F0BLISHED BY REQUEST OF THE BEREAVED FAMILT. ALBANY : PRINTED BY PACKARD, VAN BENTHUYSEN AND CO. 1839. ■A^/ r 123 • Vzg As this discourse may possibly meet the eye of some who were not acquainted with the ecclesiastical relations of Ge- neral Van Rensselaer, it may be proper to state, as a reason for excluding all biographical detail, that he was a member of another church ; and this brief tribute to his memory was designed, not to occupy the place of a funeral sermon, but merely as an echo to a deeply excited publick sensibility. TO THE FAMILY OF THE LATE LAMENTED STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER, THIS DISCOURSE IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, EVEKY SENTIMENT OF VENERATION FOR THE MEMORY OF THEIE DEPARTED RELATIVE, EVERY FEELING OF SYMPATHY IN THE SORROWS OF THEIR BEREAVEMENT, BY THEIR SINCERE KrjBND, W. B. S. SERMON. Proverbs, viii. 11. Wisdo7ii is better than rubies. The word wisdom^ in its primary import, sig- nifies knowledge accompanied by a disposition to make a right use of it. In scripture, and espe- cially in the writings of Solomon, it commonly denotes true religion: and this is scarcely a modification of its original meaning ; for while true religion has its foundation in the knowledge of divine truth, it also includes a right state of the aflfections. A ruhy is a precious stone, of a red colour, sometimes verging to violet. It is of great value in jewelry ; and in point of hardness is second only to the diamond. By a common figure it is made to represent the most valuable earthly pos- sessions- 8 The meaning of the text then obviously is, that true rehgion is greatly to be preferred above all earthly treasures and enjoyments. And yet the wise man does not mean to intimate that earthly treasures and enjoyments are of no value; for the form of expression that he has adopted implies the contrary : the fact that wisdom is bet- ter than rubies, takes for granted that rubies are worth something. It will therefore be no depar- ture from the spirit of the passage, if we con- sider it as illustrating tlie superiority of religious character to earthly rank, when they are separately considered ; and the peculiar attractiveness of both, when viewed in combination. And this is what I purpose to do in the following discourse. I. We will contemplate the superiority of reli- gious character to earthly rank, by a reference to The elements of which they are composed : The tenure by which they are held : The influence they are fitted to exert. I. The elements of which they are composed. In the one case, these are mere external things ; in the other, they are the internal and substan- tial qualities of the man. What is it that gives a man rank among his fellow men ? Riches — And what are riches but material things — things for the eye to look upon, and the hands to handle, and the serpent to ap- appropriate as his food ? Office — And what is office but something that hangs about a man ra- ther than has its seat within him ? And what are all the plaudits which office may procure, but mere sound, as evanescent as mortal breath ? Heredi- tary distinction — And what is that but a bubble which floats down the stream of time for a few generations, gradually losing its bright hues, till it goes off into empty air ? These are the lead- ing elements of rank ; and are they not as inde- pendent of all moral qualities as the earth you walk upon ? I can point you to many a rich man, who is an oppressor ; to many a man wearing the badge of office, who is a political knave ; to many a man who counts upon honourable descent, who shows himself capable of most dishonourable con- duct : and in each case I can show you an intel- lectual dwarf; a being whose accidental eleva- tion has only contributed to make him the greater laughing stock to the world. I repeat — the ele- ments of earthly rank are only appendages, — not parts, of the man. 10 Not so with the elements of rehgious charac- ter. These are the graces of the Spirit — love, joy, meekness, faith, hope, charity; — qualities which are inwrought by a divine influence with the very texture of the soul. And now I ask which is to be preferred, that which pertains to the corruptible or the incorruptible ; that which involves the legitimate exercise of the noblest fa- culties of your nature, or that which may exist independently of all intellectual or moral worth ; that which you put on as you do a garment, or that which inheres in your bosom as a heaven born immortal principle ? 2. The superiority of religious character to earthly rank appears further, from the tenure by which they are respectively held. The one is by a brittle thread which an insect or an atom can sunder; the other is by a golden cord, which Omnipotence hath formed, and which the com- bined energies of earth and hell cannot break. As those things on which earthly rank depends are the creature of circumstances, so also they are the sport of circumstances. Will a man hold on always upon his possessions ? Let him speak then to the howling tempest that threatens to 11 sweep away his tenements ; or to the rising flood or the gathering ice, that seems Hkely to bear off the accumulated earnings of many years ;* and let him see whether his voice is heard and heed- ed, or whether Omnipotence moves steadily for- ward to its work of desolation, and reduces him in an hour to straits, perhaps to poverty. Will a man who has once been elevated to honour, al- ways continue to wear his laurels ? If he does, it will not be long ; for always here can mean no- thing more than through this vapour of a life : not laurels, but corruption and the worm, inhabit the tomb. But in all probability they will fade upon his brow before the death sweat comes upon it. His own short-sightedness or ambition, or the jealousy and rivalry of others, or both combined, may not improbably hurry him back into as great obscurity as that from which he emerged. And look at the actual history of hereditary distinc- tion, especially in our own country. For a ge- neration or two the honours that come in this way seem fresh ; but before a century is past, they * This discourse was delivered the sabbath succeeding a violent storm, which was followed by a sudden breaking up of the ice in the Hudson, and an almost unprecedented rise of the water, occasioning an extensive destruction of property. B 12 are faded and worthless, and a name that was once great becomes common, perhaps even vul- gar. I venture to say, if you go back to the early history of your OAvn city, you will find some great names which have long since sunk to medi- ocrity, if not to insignificance ; while others have come up in their place, and for a few generations been as fragrant and glorious as they ; and now perhaps these may be waning into obscurity to make place for others still, that shall have their day, and then sink away, like their predecessors, into the shades of night. Thirty years ago, where was the individual whose rank, on the whole, compared with that of Napoleon ? Con- trast the conqueror at large in his glory, with the prisoner shut out from the world ; the palace in which he lived, with the stable in which he died, and then say what better you can write concern- ing " the glory of man" than that it is " as the flower of grass." I bless God that it is not so with religious cha- racter : that survives in its freshness, when every thing that is external and material goes to decay i the graces of the Spirit, once produced in the Christian, are as immortal as his existence. It 13 must be so ; for these graces are identified with his renovated nature. And still more, God him- self hath given the assurance that nothing shall ever efface his image from the believer's soul, or bring him into final condemnation. " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" triumphant- ly asks the Apostle. " No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand," saith the Saviour. The tyrant may invade your rights ; the robber may strip you of every thing ; the murderer may even sever the cord that unites your soul and body together ; but the combined energies of cre- ation could never effect a disunion between your soul and its Redeemer; never rob you of that richest of all gems — a religious character. 3. The superiority of religious character to earthly rank will be yet further manifest from a view of the injiuence they are respectively fitted to exert: — their influence both upon happiness and usefulness. What is there in earthly rank that is adapted greatly to promote the happiness of an indivi- dual? The tendencies to unhappiness are all internal ; and hence some internal antidote must be applied to counteract them ; but all that con- 14 stitutes rank belongs to the exterior of a man, and of course cannot reach those elements of moral disease and wretchedness that lie hid in his bosom. Man's unhappiness all results from the fact that he is a sinner ; and what is there in earthly rank to meet a sinner's wants ? He has an unpacified conscience ; a conscience that of- ten embitters what would otherwise be hours of pleasure, and makes the judgment appear a reality when he would fain believe it a phantom ; and what can rank do to charm this troublesome in- habitant of the bosom into peace ? He is under the dominion of evil passions, which sometimes perhaps prey silently upon his spirit, and some- times wake up a tempest in his bosom ; but tell me in which of the elements of rank you can find any thing that will arrest that corrosion, or allay that storm. Nay, is there not much in it, that is adapt- ed to produce an opposite effect ; — to render a proud man still more proud ; a discontented man still more discontented ; a covetous man still more covetous ; and every man whose heart is not right with God still more self confident and forgetful of his dependance ? I appeal to the record of human experience for the proof of this ; and I venture to 15 say there is not one of you but can instantly re- cur to examples of it — cases in which earthly distinction has evidently been the means of per- petual disquietude in this world, and of prevent- ing all preparation for the next. Whomsoever else you may envy, envy not the irreligious man who occupies an exalted station ; for if you knew the whole, you would probably know that he is harassed with unceasing vexations by day, and often finds thorns in his pillow at night ; and if you could look down the path through which his spirit will be travelling ages hence, though I would fain hope for the best concerning him, I greatly fear you would see that which would make you cry out with horrour, " What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul ?" How different, how opposite is the influence of religion ! That soothes the troubled conscience by bringing before the mind God as a forgiving Father. It breathes a sweet tranquillity through the soul ; saying to the passions, as Jesus said to the waves, " Peace, be still !" It inspires con- tentment with the allotments of Providence, which of itself brings happiness into any earthly condi- 16 tion. It produces humility, — that meek and quiet spirit, around which all other qualities that are good and praise-worthy so naturally cluster. It causes the soul to stay itself upon God amidst the vicissitudes and sorrows of life, in the sweet hope of being ere long released from them all, and put in possession of an incorruptible inheri- tance. It would be easy to show that the influence of religious character in favour of one's happiness, is far greater than that of earthly rank, in a?iy circumstances, even those of the greatest pros- perity ; but instead of attempting this, let me, for a moment, summon them both in the charac- ter of comforters to a dying bed ; and let us stand by, while each tries her powers to sustain that departing spirit. Let Rank administer her con- solations first ; and if they are all the soul needs, Religion may retire, and go forth into some other scene in which she will be welcome. " Thou art dying indeed ; but then thou art dying with a wreath of glory about thee. Look around and see that it is a palace in which thou art breath- ing out thy spirit. Thou hast milhons which thou canst yet call thine one. Raise that glassy eye 17 and look out of thy window once more, and re- flect that all within, and far beyond, the range of thy vision, belongs to thee. Think too how thy name has rung through the land — perhaps through the world ; and how many who have never seen thy face are yet familiar with thy fame. — Thou art dying indeed ; but it is not a vulgar death : there is no poverty here — no mediocrity here. Thou art dying ; but the pageantry that will attend thy funeral were itself worth dying for. Thou art dying; but it is not thy name that dies : that shall live through the vicissitudes of many generations : the worm that shall de- vour thy body, can never so much as mar thy glory. Lay thine head upon thy pillow then and die ; and let thy spirit find its last exercises on earth in that glorious dream that thy name shall not only be embalmed but emblazoned, after thou art gone." " And is this all the consolation," I hear the dying man ask, " that Rank has to im- part ? Then let me die in a hovel, and be buried under a hedge ; for not a word have I listened to but has echoed to this throbbing heart in a note of anguish. Depart then, for thou art not want- ed here ; and let Religion come and enter into 18 communion with this agonized spirit." I hear her speaking to him of Christ and his salvation ; of Christ as the behever's righteousness, the be- hever's hope, the behever's refuge, the behever's resurrection ; and the countenance of the dying man tells me that his wants are now met. " Here," exclaims he, " is no trifling with my last agony. It is a blessed reality which I hold when I reach out these arms and embrace my Saviour. I cast my naked soul upon him and feel safe and happy. "Jesus can make a dying bed, Feel soft as downy pillows are." This dying bed is become soft to me. Though my body is in pain there is joy in my spirit: thouo-h the eye of sense grows dim, the eye of faith grows clear and penetrating : though I can- not be indifferent to the sobs of friends, methinks they will soon be drowned in the songs of an- gels." The tongue hath spoken, and the eye moved, and the bosom heaved, for the last time ; but Religion hath impressed a smile even upon that clod ; a smile that seems to tell unutterable things concerning the spirit's glorious destiny. I have said enough to illustrate the influence of rank and of religion upon ones happiness : let 19 us now see whether there is not a corresponding influence exerted in respect to usefulness. I do not question that men of high rank with- out rehgion are often great pubUck benefactors. A rich man merely from the promptings of a naturally generous spirit, may distribute his pro- perty to supply the wants of the needy, or to sustain objects of publick usefulness. A man high in office may, from a naturally patriotic spirit, consecrate his influence to the promotion of his country's welfare ; and thus may acquire and deserve the reputation of a publick benefac- tor. But after all, if there be nothing better at bottom than constitutional generosity, or patriot- ism, or as the case may be, mere worldly policy; — if there be no reverence for the authority, and no respect to the favour, of God ; in short, if there be not religious principle, I cannot see any security for the continuance of these good influences, even where they actually prevail -, and I am never surprised if, under the scorching heat of temptation, this fountain of good will or pub- lick spirit, that seemed well nigh exhaustless, is dried up. And while rank furnishes no security that the wealth or the influence which pertains to 20 it will be rightly applied, does not the history of human experience show that in instances innu- merable they are fearfully misapplied ; and are not unfrequently worked into an engine of des- truction to the best interests of men ? How ma- ny have been left to struggle with poverty and distress, unassisted and unbefriended, because one man has been rich ! How many have been deprived of their natural rights, and even ground to the dust by the hand of oppression, because one man has been exalted to power ! How many have thrown away the gospel, and committed suicide in the most appalling of all senses upon their own souls, because some man of rank has played the infidel before them, and they have be- lieved his lies while they have been dazzled by his splendour ! Oh it is fearful to think to what purposes rank is often perverted ; how it opens for some fountains of tears in this world, and prepares others for everlasting weeping in the next! But in religion there is the most ample security for a useful life; for while she marks out the way to be useful, she also imparts the disposition to walk in it. She first tells a man what he ought 21 to do, and then sets him at his work, always holding out to him sufficient encouragement to persevere. If she is uncompromising in her requisitions of duty, yet she makes duty a de- hght to him : if she requires him to do good to all men as he has opportunity, yet she has so remoulded his spirit that he is not at home ex- cept in the atmosphere of benevolence. Under such an influence no man can be a blank in crea- tion. He may move in the smallest circle, or he may be laid upon his sick bed so that he cannot move at all ; he may be a slave labouring at his task, or he may be a prisoner shut up in a dun- geon ; and yet no obscurity, no calamity, no op- pression, can render him a cumberer of the ground. If he cannot move his hands in labour, he can move his lips in prayer ; and if his op- pressor forbids him to pray aloud, yet no oppress- or can enchain the devout and contrite spirit ; and in those silent exercises there may be prayer that will move the world. I say again. Religion makes her votary useful any where, every where. While the irreligious man, with all the means of usefulness at his command which this world can furnish, lives for purposes of mere selfish grati- 22 fication, and when he dies is never missed, ex- cept in the sense that you miss an oppressive burden, the true Christian, who seems to be in a condition most unfavorable to usefulness, is ac- tually doing good through his whole life; and when lie dies, there are some at least who per- ceive a chasm that they know not how to fill. Thus I have endeavoured to illustrate the su- periority of religious character to earthly rank, when they are separately considered. And it must be acknowledged that it is in this way that they are most commonly found ; — rank in one person, religion in another. Nevertheless it is not always so : there are a few cases in which wisdom and rubies are combined ; and though it will be always true that wisdom is better than rubies, — religion better than rank, yet it is no less true that each has some peculiar attractions^ when found in combination with the other. II. This is the second division of our dis- course. I say then, there is a sense in which earthly rank throws an additional attraction around religious character. It must be acknowledged indeed that the temptations incident to an exalted station 23 always put the Christian in jeopardy. There is danger that, in the enjoyment of a rich profusion of earthly blessings, he will lose something of his humility, and spirituality and selfdenial, and give out to the surrounding world at best a du- bious light ; and hence we find that, in cases not a few, this melancholy result has actually been realized. But where it is otherwise, and the Christian braces himself up for a conflict with temptation, and actually succeeds in keeping the tempter under his feet, there you may expect to see the fruits of the Spirit in some of their rich- est and ripest clusters ; for that very exercise of the faculties and affections by which this victory is secured, carries a sanctifying influence through the soul ; just as the exercise of the bodily fa- culties in encountering severe hardships often improves the physical constitution. Herein is ve- rified the declaration " Unto him that hath shall be given ;" for as the very discipline to which he subjects his spirit in the conflict with temptation brings to him an increased degree of spiritual strength, so also it places him on an eminence from which he can the more easily gain new vic- tories, and make higher and still higher attain- ments. 24 There is another way in which rank may con- tribute to purify and elevate character : — I mean by increasing the facihties for doing good. No- thing exalts the character more than the habitual exercise of a benevolent spirit ; for the more an individual has of this, the more he wears of the image of his Creator and Redeemer. Every man may do good ; but a man of high rank has means of doing good, which others have not ; and if he be a Christian and improve these means as he ought, you may expect to see his character shin- ing out with a corresponding lustre. And I may add, the brightest charm of all which rank imparts to religious character, is to be found in that lovely condescension for the exer- cise of which it furnishes an opportunity. Have you ever seen a man whom Providence had placed in a condition far above that of perhaps any other individual in the community in which he lived ? And yet have you seen him moving about among his inferiors with affability and kindness, apparently forgetful of his wealth and his honours, and ready to speak a word of con- solation, or make an offering of charity, where- ever it was needed ? Then you have seen a case 25 in which rehgious character shone the brighter for beinof associated with rank. What was it that imparted such infinite dignity to that self- denial and condescension which so pre-eminently marked the Saviour's suflfering life ? It was the fact that he who stooped so low was the Bright- ness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person. I do not compare human rank with divine majesty ; but if the condescension of the suffering Jesus was the greater because he was the Son of God, is it irreverent to say even in respect to a worm, that Ms condescension is the more attractive in proportion as he is exalted above his fellow worms ? It is no less true, on the other hand, that reli- gion dignifies rank. A lofty station, when filled by a bad man, really seems to have little attraction in it. We form a painful association between the station and the character ; and what belongs exclusively to the one, we attribute partly to the other. But let such a place be filled by a truly good man, — a man of generous and holy aspira- tions, and there is a charm about it that you could not feel before. You venerate the place now for the sake of the venerable occupant.— 26 You may have been accustomed to talk of world- ly rank as if it were nothing ; but you begin to feel as if you had thought of it too lightly. You see it reflecting beams of comfort and prosperity on the community in which you dwell. You ad- mire, and yet you cannot find it in your heart to envy. It is because character, religious charac- ter, is pouring over it its kindly influences. I have known a man who united religion and rank more eminently than almost any of his con- temporaries ; and though you have known him as well as I, I have no fear of detaining you by an unwelcome theme, if, now that we have laid him in his tomb, I endeavour to bring forth his endeared image to your tender and grateful re- collection. The man of whom I speak could claim as much perhaps on the score of earthly rank, as any other individual in the land. He was not only rich, but unlike most others in this country who leave a princely estate behind them, he had never known what it was to be otherwise. He was high in office, both civil and military ; for besides having presided in the senate of our own state, he has held a place in the higher council 27 of the nation ; and in days of peril and conflict lias stood at the head of an important branch of our army. And if any one could count upon family honours, it was he ; for his descent had been through a long line of distinguished ances- try. We recognized him as a sort of patrician among us ; and so he was regarded wherever he was known. I have spoken of his rank ; and now let me speak of his character. If it were my design to present his character before you in detail, I should speak here of his well balanced and well cultivated mind; of his discriminating and almost intuitive perception of character ; of his warm and generous heart ; of his bland and dignified manners ; of the inimitable ease with which he accommodated himself to all the different ranks of society : but as my design is a more limited one, I will ask you to contemplate him only in his character as a Christian ; for though it is not uncommon, I trust, to find faith on the earth, it is uncommon to find lively faith, eminent piety, amidst that peculiar class of temptations by which he was surrounded. I know little of his private religious history ; and yet hi one of the 28 last conversations which I ever had v^ith him, and one of the most dehghtful which I ever had with any body, he adverted amidst a flood of tears to the goodness of God in giving him an eminently pious mother ; and added that the recollection of her counsels and instructions had been the means, under Providence, of fixing his attention perma- nently on eternal things. I heard him at the same time, as I have done at other times, express the deepest sense of his own unworthiness be- fore God, and of his entire dependance on the all sufficient grace of the Saviour; and I should be ready to believe, as well from my own obser- vation as from the testimony of others, that hu- mility was a prominent feature in his religious character. I have heard how constant and de- vout he was in leading his family to the throne of the heavenly grace. I have heard how highly he valued the privilege of approaching the sacra- mental table; how, after disease had fastened itself upon him so strongly that he could make no calculations in respect to the future, he seem- ed to be watching his own feehngs from day to day, that he might judge of the probability of his being privileged to go, perhaps for the last time, 29 and commemorate his Redeemer's death. But that trait of his Christian character which drew toward him the pubHc eye more than any other, was his noble philanthropy; — his being "rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate." The circle of his benevolent regards embraced the whole family of man. If the greater streams of his charity were directed toward those greater objects whose field of influ- ence is the world, there were innumerable rills of refreshing bounty which he caused to circu- late among the habitations of the poor. If many of our great benevolent institutions reckoned him as their most liberal benefactor, there was many a destitute widow who rejoiced amidst her sor- rows because his kindness had reached her, and many a little orphan who, without any prompt- ing, would speak forth his praise. And he was as unostentatious as he was liberal in his bene- factions. He took counsel of the good provi- dence of our Heavenly Father, whose richest blessings, like the dew, fall gently and silently upon us. It was no pleasure to him to see his charities emblazoned in a newspaper ; it was enough that they were recorded in Heaven. 30 I bless God that, after having spoken of the dig- nity of his rank, I have been able to say so much, and might, if it were proper, add much more in respect to the dignity of his character. And now I ask, where shall we look for a more fa- voured or a more honoured life than his ? I have seen but little of him in his family ; but there, I understand, he was a very patriarch. That gen- tleness and kindness which he reflected on the much loved circle, were reflected back upon him- self; and there was an attraction in his look and manner which made even the little child eager to climb upon his knees to do him honour. We saw him from time to time moving about among us ; but with just as little parade as one of his own tenants would have exhibited. We knew that there were honours hanging thick about him, but we saw nothing in his manner that was in- tended to remind us of it. And if there be a being that ever envied him, / know him not ; but I know that some who have lived by his side for more than half a century, will testify, that they never heard a whisper to his disadvantage. The old and the young, the rich and the poor, the obscure and the honourable, were ever ready 31 to do him homage. He was mdeed, for a con- siderable time previous to his death, afflicted by a most painful malady ; but he was always in the bosom of conjugal and filial kindness; and his friends who were privileged from time to time to visit him, saw that he knew how to be dignified in suflfering as well as in joy. And when the last scene came, his Redeemer treated him so gently that his friends who were ministering around him knew not the moment of the spirit's flight ; and before the agonizing shock which the annuncia- tion of his departure occasioned, was felt, there can be no doubt that scenes of heavenly rapture were bursting upon his disenthralled soul. His funeral, I thank God, had nothing of pageantry about it ; but who did not consider it a privilege to be in the long procession that moved after that cofiin ? The tidings of his death flew off" upon the winds in every direction ; and the newspa- pers are coming back to us in mourning to tell us how those tidings have been received. How dark and still was the place where we left him ! But methinks that sepulchral silence is broken by a voice from the dead to the living. It is a voice to the mourner. " Wipe away those 32 flowing tears, and let the cheerful smile relume thy countenance. It is not I that those who car- ry out the dead have brought hither, — but only a corruptible appendage of myself; not the spirit which used to soothe and comfort and commune with you, but that crazy tenement which you have watched over so long, and which has sometimes made you weep for its excruciating agony. — Since the spirit which you loved is the com- panion of angels, be not concerned for any tem- porary dishonour into which this body may have been brought, especially as it waits here only to be the subject of a reanimating and refining pro- cess from the Resurrection and the Life." It is a voice to the prosperous. " Forget not that God requires of you according to what he bestows upon you ; that in making you rich he has con- stituted you his almoners ; and that the day is coming, when it will be worth every thing to you to have been found faithful." It is a voice to the poor. " Trust ye in the widow's and the orphan's God ; and fear not that there will be one more bitter ingredient in your cup than infinite good- ness sees best for you. Lay not your garlands at the door of my tomb ; but cast every offering 33 of gratitude at our Redeemer's feet." It is a voice to the ambitious. " Honours, earthly ho- nours have clustered upon me in other days ; but see what are the honours of the sepulchre ! Covet only the distinction of an humble disciple of Jesus. All beside will appear as chaff when you come to view it in the twilight of life." It is a voice to all. " Lay up for yourselves trea- sure in heaven. Let what will become of the body, make provision for the immortal spirit. Receive Christ as the foundation of your hope, the refuge of your soul. Behold now is the day of salvation !" The silence of the tomb is re- stored. Rest there, Father, Saint, till the voice of the archangel shall break thy slumber !