FUNERAL ADdress. Substance of the Address delivered at the the Rev. ISAIAH BIRT. in a state of ruin! What! this beautiful edifice thrown down; this admirable form brought to death, and laid low in the grave, to be trodden under foot by the heedless passenger! The frame of him who "We are assembled this morning now addresses you will soon, very on one of the most humbling and soon, like that of our beloved afflictive occasions that can occur in brother, be brought to the coffin the present world. No event on and the tomb. These limbs will earth, can be more afflicting and become inactive, and this flesh will humbling than the dissolution of the be given over to corruption and the human frame. There is something worm. This is indeed humiliating reasonable, interesting, and useful in and afflictive! And not only him contemplating the frame of man, who addresses you, but all who when an edifice so fair is taken hear him, the young and the old, the down, when a structure so beautiful rich and the poor, the high and the is laid low. We do not now dis- low, must be subjected to this depute the opinion that man was gradation. There are no gradations created in the image of God, for in death. This last enemy levels all this fact is twice stated by Moses, distinctions, and lays low men of all and is repeated by St. Paul; but orders and conditions. But there whatever may be said of the mind are striking demarcations in those of man, the body is certainly beau- who are brought to the grave. There tiful and worthy of cur admiration. are many classes in society; yet all When angels are read of, they are are levelled in the silent tomb. read of as men. When painters There is one class of persons whose have drawn these celestial beings, death little affects the survivors. they have drawn them as men. They come into the world and pass Some artists have been presump-out of it without exciting particular tuous enough to attempt a repre- attention; without effecting any sentation of the Deity; but on such good for themselves or others. occasions they have not attempted to go farther than a representation of man. The noblest mental efforts are rendered beneficial to society through the instrumentality of the body; and the latter is the medium of carrying into effect, and of rendering practically useful, the best and mightiest projects of the mind. The Son of God assumed the corporeal form of man, and took upon him our nature. God has thus conferred the highest possible honour upon his creatures, and even now the human form appears in the heavenly world, in the glorified person of the Redeemer, who is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. We might say much more of man's corporeal structure. But how awful to contemplate him There is a second class, which is composed of men whose lives are so vicious and detrimental to societywho are such moral pests, that their exit from this world is a desirable event-a relief to the rest of mankind, and a matter of congratulation to those whom they leave behind. There are others who, like him who addresses you, have passed through many years of sorrow, and affliction, and trial, to whom death is a relief a welcome visitor. There is yet another class of persons, whose death, like that of our departed brother, is a heavy affliction to survivors-a matter of lamentation to friends and brethren around them, and to the church of God. "The deceased was a man of great natural endowments, and those en "It may be observed further, that God has, in the event which dowments he had cultivated with great had not such a proprietor a right to labour and assiduity. He was also the do what he pleased with his own? subject of Divine grace; a recipient He has only resumed his own; he of Divine influence and gifts. It is has violated no right. None can delightful to contemplate the mind stay his hand, or say unto him with of man thus endowed (and these propriety, What doest thou?' I endowments highly cultivated), and feel a pleasure while I speak, in the richly furnished with the graces of recollection that what our late rethe Holy Spirit. The understand- spected brother did, I and those ing of our lamented and beloved around me have done too—we have, friend was clear, his judgment cor- like him, given ourselves to God, rect, and his disposition amiable. dedicated ourselves to his service In the great objects of human life and his pleasure. he was active and indefatigable; and all his affections and powers were under the influence of the we deplore, acted wisely. He has Spirit of God, and were brought done, not only what he would, into captivity to the obedience of and what was right, but what Christ. He was a blessing to his was for the best. Every thing confamily, to the church of God, and nected with our dear brother was to the world in which he lived and under God's management. His laboured. Had the event which we work, the sphere and duration of deplore been procured by man, it his labours, the number of his days, would indeed have been a disgrace his death, and all that affected him, to human kind, a foul blot on the were wisely appointed by God, and highest character, a spot on the were in that covenant which was brightest diadem, and a reproach to well ordered and sure. Had this the most elevated of our species. event not happened, the Divine plan But what would have been so great would have been frustrated, and the a crime in any earthly being, has all wise designs of the Omnipotent been effected by God himself. It would have been counteracted. was he that brought down our de- Though we are distressed and parted friend and brother. He has grieved, yet the death of our brother taken him from his house to which was as much a part of the Divine he shall not return; from his wife, plan as any event of his life; and his children, his friends, and the when we ask, Is it well?-Is it well church of God. And he has done for the wife ?-Is it well for the this as a God of righteousness. children? Is it well for the church? What would have been criminal in we are constrained to say, 'It is man is righteous in God. Our la- well.' mented friend was not his own, not "This act of the Divine Being the property of his family, not the is also an act of goodness, as well property of the church. They called as one of righteousness and wisdom. him my husband, my father, or our It is good for our brother who has pastor; but these were not strictly passed honourably and usefully correct expressions. He was not through this world of temptation, their's, but God's. It was God who sin, and sorrow. He has fought created, supported, and endowed the good fight, he has finished his him. And not only so, but he had course, he has kept the faith, and given himself to God! He had henceforth there is laid up for him made no conditions or stipulations, the crown of righteousness, which but had said a thousand times, 'Not the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall my will but thine be done!' And give him at that day. He has com 6 pleted his labours, and has sat down at the right hand of God. All will allow this act, so far as our brother was concerned, to be very good; and we join with the voice from heaven, in the exclamation, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth. Even so, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.' But it will be asked, 'Is it good for the widow? Is it good for the children? Is it good for the church?' We will, with great thankfulness, allow that our dear brother was a good husband, father, and pastor; but was he the author of all this? No, if he could speak from the tomb, he would say, 'No: it was Christ that worked in me.' Yes, it was God that worked in him and by him. All he did was of God. If he had a heavenly treasure, it was in an earthen vessel: and though he is dead, yet God still lives. Yes. Jesus still lives, and he is full of mercy, and grace, and truth. God is as full of grace now as before our brother's departure, and He will never leave nor forsake those whom he has left behind. All things shall work together for good to those that love God.' Do we love God? Then all things shall work together for our good. These things are apparently evil; but they are really for our good. When Jacob had lost Joseph, he exclaimed, ́ An evil beast hath devoured him ;' and, when his son Benjamin was required of him, he said, Joseph is not, Simeon is not, and will ye take Benjamin also.' But Joseph was alive, and was raised from a dungeon to a throne; and all that was promised to Jacob at Bethel was fulfilled. Christ can accomplish all things for us. 6 All things are his. But death, you say, is an evil of the greatest magnitude. Yes, but "all things are your's; things present and things to come; life and death, all are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' 'Neither life nor death, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' No affliction is for the present joyous, but rather grievous; yet afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them who are exercised thereby. Can you tell me a passage of the word of God in which it is said, 'It is good for me that I have been in prosperity? But there are many such passages as the following:'It is good for me that I have been afflicted.' 'I know that in very faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.' God has done that which we lament in very faithfulness, and it must work for our good. This, my friends, may be regarded as a time of congratulation and praise. I know not why we wear mourning at funerals. We have cause for rejoicing and triumph. Our brother has won the day. He has ceased from toil, and sorrow, and sin; he has gone through this wilderness; he has passed the river, and is now set down with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, in the kingdom of God. He is taken from a world of sin, and sorrow, and suffering, and has entered into the joy of his Lord. His battle is fought, his course is run, and he has received the prize. There is something selfish in our sorrow. We are called upon to yield submission to the will of our heavenly Father. I was as dumb,' says the Psalmist, because thou didst it; and the wise, the good, all should join in this exclamation." Mr. Birt concluded by urging his audience to regard the present dispensation of Providence as a call to the exercise of increased confidence, to watchfulness and prayerfulness, and to renewed activity in the cause of God. When the reader contemplates such a number of persons brought under medical treatment, from one general disease, though appearing, thing in the countenances of the inhabitants which indicated terror. He would, however, discover, or he might ascertain, the most active exertions for the protection and comfort of the poor, and the most prompt attention to the diseased; while the oft-recurring and speedy interment of the dead would con vince him that truly "the pestilence had been walking in darkness, and the destruction wasting at noon day." DIVINE Providence having seen fit to visit this town and its neighbourhood with a painful scourge, in the disease usually denominated Cholera Morbus, I trust a brief account of it will be obvious, under various the infliction, accompanied by a few modifications, he may possibly conreflections, may not be unacceptable clude that a very deep, if not a to the readers of the Baptist Ma- visible impression, must have been gazine. made on the inhabitants. He will, The disease, it is generally known, however, be mistaken if he figure to first appeared at Sunderland; al- himself the gloomy aspect and apthough a quickly fatal case of a sus-pendages of" the city of the plague.' picious character, occuring in this Were such a person to visit Newtown, about the same time, had ex-castle, he would witness no intercited our apprehensions. The fact, ruption to business, no sanatory however, of its having actually cordon, no fear of traversing the reached our shores, was speedily most infected districts, nor any evinced, by the official reports of its progress, and by the opinions of eminent medical men, sent to ascertain its existence, and to examine its character. From the disease being confined, for several weeks, to the town of Sunderland, the hope was probably cherished by some, that its ravages might not extend further. If, however, this hope was, in any case, too tenaciously adhered to, the issue has proved that it was doomed to disappointment. Since the 7th of December, the malady Those parts of these towns, in has, in this town, in Gateshead, and which this disease has hitherto been in the villages on the northern and most fatal, have chiefly been southern banks of the Tyne, as well confined situations, especially the as in North Shields, and other places, streets near the river; and though continued, with more or less viru- amongst its victims have been lence, to prevail; and has removed included many persons of decent into the eternal world some hun- and orderly habits, yet it deserves dreds of our fellow-immortals, many to be distinctly recorded, that it of whom, it is to be feared, were un- has fallen with peculiar and awprepared for the summons. The ful weight on the intemperate and official returns of the progress of profane. Several striking and wellthe malady, up to this period, (18th authenticated facts contained in a of January,) within the bounds of tract* now printing, addressed to the Boards of Health of Newcastle the inhabitants of Newcastle and and Gateshead alone, and, of course, Gateshead, will corroborate this reexclusive of Sunderland, North mark, and, at the same time, illusShields, &c., shew the following aggregate : VOL. VII. 2d Series. A copy of this tract will be forwarded to the Magazine. trate the principle that, though God is long-suffering and of great mercy, yet, when the crimes of men reach a certain crisis, "wrath to the uttermost not unfrequently descends upon them; and that, as in the judgments predicted by the prophet Zephaniah, those persons are cut off" who have turned back from the Lord, or who have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him." How oft is the candle of the wicked put out; and how oft cometh their destruction upon them. God distributeth sorrows in his anger." 66 northern parts of the kingdom, or extend its ravages further, his infinite wisdom alone can determine, and time declare. All, however, will admit that it is very desirable to make those reflections, and to gather that instruction, from the events that are occurring, which they are calculated to suggest. With a few observations of this nature, therefore, this paper shall be concluded. 1. First, then, we ought to be exceedingly thankful that this disease has not been near so fatal in this country as in many other parts of the world; and that there is reason generally to hope, that, after having continued a few weeks in a place, it will, as at Sunderland, gradually subside. Thus mercy is mixed with judgment, and thus the Lord "stayeth his rough wind in the day of his east wind.' From the foregoing statements it may easily be concluded, that the events referred to must have made a considerable impression on the minds of those persons resident on the spot, who deem it their duty devoutly to acknowledge the hand of God in all the dispensations of his providence, and especially "in the 2. It ought to be our most anxious day of adversity to consider." Such care, not only where the disease an impression, the writer trusts he already does appear, but throughout is enabled to add, has been pro- the nation, that the hand of the duced. Monday, the 26th of De- Lord be distinctly acknowledged, cember, was observed, by the Dis- that his interposition be most desenters generally, as a day of special voutly supplicated, and that the sancprayer and humiliation, on account tification of the trial be most earof the infliction; and the succeed-nestly desired. Scripture and exing Friday was spent in a similar perience unite to convince us, that manner by the Wesleyan Methodists. if this be neglected, some heavier Since then, repeated conferences stroke will be sent, to awaken us to have been held, and various plans a sense of our duty, while a timely adopted for the improvement of the application to the Divine Throne, acdispensation, and for the revival of companied by confession of sin and religion; nor are we without hope humiliation, may secure, if not the that. He who can bring good out of removal, yet the mitigation of the apparent evil, will so sanctify the infliction; and, what is of vast imstrokes of his rod as to give us reason portance, its being overruled for to say, "It is good for us that we good. Surely, when "the Lord's have been afflicted." Prayer meet- voice crieth to the city, the men of ings have been better attended, and wisdom should see his name. the preaching of the Gospel in the most destitute places, has excited a deeper interest; whilst the union of ministers and Christians, in a common object, has afforded a pleasing indication for good. Whether it shall please God that this malady shall be confined to the 3. This visitation loudly calls on Christians to make more vigorous efforts, in aid of the temporal and spiritual necessities of such of the inhabitants of our large towns and cities as are living in wretchedness and depravity. Poverty and want expose them to disease; while, |