Lament not my decease, as your mishap,
When I fo gladly reft in glory's lap,
Weep not that death did me from death deliver,
Nor grieve as for a lofs; I'm won for ever.
I fought, I wrefiled there, from whence I came ;
I joy, I triumph here, where now I am.
On earth I long'd to fee my JESUS dear;
Behold! I fought him there, and find him here.
In galleries of joy, in white I walk,
Mong worthy wights, of whom I once did talk.
I fee this glorious King in whom I boast,
Upon the head of this triumphant host.
With this feraphic quire I join on high,
To warble notes of praise eternally ;
Glory to God that ever here I came,
And glory, glory, glory to the Lamb:
My light, my life, my ftrength, my joy, my all,
Is now within mine arms, and ever fhall.
My glorious Lord is mine, and I am his;
I'm like him, for I fee him as he is:
No darkness vails him now, no difmal night,
No cloud, no vapour intercepts his light.
I fee, I fee for ever face to face
The brightest beauty in the brightest place.
Thus might he fay; but, ah! we feem too bold;
Can Heav'n's unutterable joys be told!
There, there he dwells; earth was fo low a place,
For him to view his Saviour's comely face,
That with Zaccheus from the lower ftory,
He grafpt the branch, and climb'd the tree of glory.
O may we trace his fteps, with one accord,
And imitate him, as he did his Lord!
For fill his hope, his joy, his aim was this,
To live, to love, to be where now he is.
To the MEMORY of the pious and painful, learned and eminent
Servant of CHRIST,
The Reverend Mr. ALEXANDER HAMILTON,
Late Minister of the Gospel at STIRLING:
Who Died January 29. 1738. Aged 75,
Written at the defire of fome of his Friends.
Principium vita mors eft, fic itur ad oftra,
Felix qui vivit qui moriturque Deo.
His Character, Qualifications, Manner of Preaching, and amiable Deportment.
EATH! doft thou difficult us now to know,
If as a friend thou ftrik'ft, or as a foe?
A foe, in cutting off the beft of feers?
Or friend, in fparing him till full of years?
What! fhall regard to thee, O death, be giv'n?
Thour't but a fervant to the nods of Heav'n ;
Which did not criminals on earth provoke,
They'd neither fear thy late nor fudden ftroke.
Thy LORD was once for us to thee fubmifs,
To him our humble anfwer due is this,
"Tis we, 'tis we that fin away our blifs."
But how, O how has Scotland anger'd Heav'n!
And what offence anew has Stirling giv'n?
What bold tranfgreffions and heav'n-daring crimes,
Have broke out fierce in thefe debauched times?
That we fhould live to fee Heav'n's lifted hand
Thus pulling down the pillars of the land,
The fupports of the church, and by their fall,
The godly fabric made a bowing wall.
So many cedar-beams from Lebanon,
And ftately rafters of our houfe are gone,
As threaten ruin to fucceed anon.
Great HAMILTON among the facred tribe,
An able prop, a well inftructed fcribe,
Was zealous, firm, and faithful unto death;
No nominal defender of the faith:
But with undaunted courage did contend
'Gainft blafphemies and error to his end;
No combatant for truth more fkill'd than he,
Was fet for the defence of gospel-purity.
He evidenc'd to learn'd and knowing men,
Both by his tongue, his pulpit, and his pen,
His infight into truth's abyfs was great,
And vaftly deep beyond the common rate.
Yea, famous men of arts have felt the skill
And conqu'ring edge of his well-pointed quill.
His eyes diffus'd a venerable grace;
And piety itself was in his face.
Sweetness of temper foften'd all he fpoke;
He bore his great commiffion in his look.
He taught the gospel. rather than the law;
And forc'd himfelf to drive, but lov'd to draw.
With eloquence innate his foul was arm'd;
Learning and grace combining jointly charm'd.
His view of every facred line was bright;
Each fermon was a lamp of gofpel-light.
His care was firft the malady to fhew;
Next to prefent the remedy in view;
And then his powerful application bore
The healing plaister to the running fore.
He from Mount Sinai firft did fouls alarm;
And then with promifes from Zion charm.
And thus whatever was the facred text,
This was the plan, ftill plain and unperplex'd.
He fhone 'bove others with fuperior light,
In clearing up his hearers claim of right;
The gofpel warrants and the grounds of faith,
Laid in the word, infur'd by JESUS' death,
And feal'd by baptifm in their early breath.
Thus Unbelief he of its fhifts bereft,
And unbelievers all excufelefs left.
His main concern was fafely to embark
The drowning world into the faving ark.
He spread the news of rich and fov'reign grace,
Which glorious reigns thro' Jesus' righteousness;
That grace's cov'nant abfolute and free
Might with the finner's needy cafe agree.
At folemn work his help fo fweet, fo dear,
Was fought and got by brethren far and near.
To facramental feafts he went his round,
And grac'd the tables with his joyful found.
His church was long the little flock's refort;
His words could with their time and need comport;
And hence he could be long, he could be fhort.
His courteous carriage fhew'd his gen'rous mind;
Fond without fraud, and without flatt'ry kind.
His faith he prov'd beyond dim reason's ken,
By flaming zeal for GoD, and love to men.
Yet free of pride, his works he vilify'd;
Was always humble, always felf-deny'd.
So much he others to himself preferr'd,
In charitable thoughts he chiefly err'd,
Till thence by open villanies deterr'd.
Yet this we fcarce can as a failure grant,
Which fhew'd in others, not in him the want,
Who prov'd himself in all respects a faint.
A fkilful counsellor in each dark cafe;
A hearty fympathizer in diftrefs.
Still warm his heart was with his words inlaid;
But moftly flaming when he preach'd or pray'd.
His frame was ftill divine, his words exact,
Saints heard the voice that did their hearts attract,
And angels liften'd while the charmer spake.
He duly watch'd his flock by night and day;
And from the prolling wolf redeem'd the prey.
Was ready ftill at hand without request,
To ferve the fick, and fuccour the diftreft.
The proud he tam'd, the patient he chear'd;
Nor to reprove the rich offender fear'd.
He for a deep divine was known to all;
Yea, to a proverb evangelical.
CHRIST was the leading theme, whofe righteoufness
He publifh'd as the only glorious drets;
The coat of mail to fence from top to toe,
Against the fhot of death and future woe.
And while he fought proud nature to deprefs,
Expofing unto fhame the fordid nefs
And dung of every fpecious legal drefs;
Yet ftill he careful aim'd the way to chalk,
By gofpel fuccours to a holy walk,
And fhut the mouths that would but vainly talk.
And what he preach'd he in his practice wrought,
A living fermon of the truth he taught.
An holy humble courfe of life he steer'd,
That all might fee the doctrine which they heard.
A converfation affable and mild;
Nor with vain language were his lips defil'd:
Yea, gravity appear'd even when he fmil'd.
His prefence grave did rev'rence great command,
And grave profound refpe&t from ev'ry hand.
His very look could vanity reclaim;
His countenance put levity to fhame:
Chear drooping hearts of faints, and alfo make
The guilty confcience of the finner quake.
He to the laft laborious fiill remain'd;
Nor was he from his work by age reilrain'd;
His weaknefs never made him give it o'er;
His willing mind did working-ftrength reftore.
What would have made fome to their fick-beds creep,
Could never him ut of his pulpit keep.
So prompt to teach, and preach, and pray, and praise, His labour had no end but with his days.
Warm from his work he to his reft did move :
And from his pulpit to his throne above.
But was it his intent to verify
What feem'd fo falfe, that Seraphims may die?
Sure, could they die at all, juft fo would they
All in a flame celeftial mount away.
And now fince he is gone, be this our ftrife,
Juft fo to live, and fo to end our life.
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