AN

E L E GY

UPON THE MUCH LAMENTED DECEASE OF THE REVEREND AND EXCELLENT

MR. JOSEPH BELCHER,

Lato faithful Pastor of the Church of Christ in Dedham, N. E. Qui Obiit, April 27, Anno Dom. 1723.

Ætat. Suæ 53.

The name of Belcher long has bless'd the State
With heroes in succession good and great :
And bless'd the Church too, with a radiant star,
A man of God, an angel-tutelar.

The sin, we must arraign, and not the doom,
That brings our saints and heroes to the tomb;
Adore the sovereign grace, (when they remove)
That takes their souls to the blest seats above.

Darker than midnight, is this day's eclipse :
We flow in tears upon the dying lips;
The lips, that did with heavenly nectar flow,
And every Sabbath bless the church below.

Such as God honors, we should honor too ;
And view their death as a presage of wo:
May Hear'n avert it! Such may be distressed,
Whom th' shines for thirty years have not impressed.

Yet bless we Christ, that we may not complain
And say, his faithful labors were in vain :
By this bless'd instrument, this heavenly guide,
Many converted, many edified.

Bred in the eagle's nest and taught to fly,
Travers'd the circle of philosophy ;
Thirsty of arts, he many an Helicon
Drank up, as thirsty stars drink up the sun,

Made noblest flights up to the upper region,
Feasted best at the banquets of religion.
His learning vast, like Moses and like Paul,
To God in Christ he sacrific'd it all.

His rule and conduct, prudent, steady, mild,
Honor'd the house of God and th' chair he fill'd.
His 'scutcheon, glorious virtues ; and his crest
Humility, the crown of all the rest.

By breath of heav'n this saving trumpet blown,
The walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
A friend unto New England's first-best-ways ;
To th' constitution that the Scripture lays.

The teacher dextrous and laborious ;
The word he taught, divinely glorious ;
Ile liv'd it all : to walk the way he trod,
(Prove it who will,) will bring a man to God.

Stopt is the conduit-pipe that did supply
God's holy church, and many a family,
Abundantly, and that for many a year :
Then run to the Fount', and take refreshment there.

This loss so public of such vast extent, Christ's ministers throughout the land, lament. Heav'n's balm we need; for bitter is the cup; Great is the breach: JEHOVAH, make it up.

Thine all-sufficient blessing, gracious LORD!
To consort, children, and the church afford !
May they in their distress depend on Thee;
And thy great goodness now and ever see !

The heavenly temple, and the earthly tomb
Have each a part, lill th' resurrection come.
Our part were humbling to the last degree
But that his dust united is with Thee,
Blest Jesus! waiting till the jubilee,
And that there's left us, his immortal memory.

Sic Condoluit, J. DANFORTH. A Call from the Dead to the Living.

IN A

S E R M O N

PREACHED ON OCCASION OF THE EARLY AND SURPRISING, THOUGH

COMFORTABLE DEATH OF

MR. TIMOTHY METCALF,

A VERY HOPEFUL YOUNG MAN, WHO RECEIVED HIS DEATH'S WOUND ON

SATURDAY, AUG. 12, 1727. AND EXCHANGED (AS WE TRUST) EARTH FOR HEAVEN, ON THE MONDAY FOLLOWING, ÆTAT. 19.

.

BY SAMUEL DEXTER, M. A.

SERMON.

HEBREWs xi. 4.

“ And by it, he being dead, yet speaketh.”

The sovereign Jehovah “who doth his pleasure in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this lower world;" who governeth all things in the kingdom of his providence and grace, to serve the purposes of his own will, and is not accountable therein, unto any, for any of his matters ; "and is righteous in all his ways, and will be justified when he speaketh, and clear when he judgeth;" hath in his holy providence been calling upon us this last week, to follow a young man to the grave, that silent house, appointed for all the living, who was cut off, in the beginning of his days; and that in a very awful and surprising manner. The providence is very speaking unto us, and ought not to pass us, without suitable notice being taken of it. The life of that young man and the circumstances that attend his death, are worthy of our observation, for therein, “ he being dead, yet speaks to us.” If the interest of Christ among us, and especially among our young people, may be promoted, by what may be offered upon this occasion, and the grace of Christ which had done such great things in him, may be glorified, I shall have what I seek in bringing you a message from the dead this day. The words which I have now read unto you are part of that excellent discourse of the great apostle of the Gentiles, wherein after a very lively and entertaining manner, he treats of the nature and fruits of true faith, that excellent grace, which reflects honor upon all that live in the exercise of it, and by virtue of which the saints of the Most High are enabled to do wonderful things for the honor of God. In the three first verses of this chapter, the nature of this grace is described, “as the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” And the honor which it