1789] J^EV. WILLr.-lM SMITH, D. D. 27 1 



voices, I was about to write ; and I heard a voice from Heaven saying 

 unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and 

 write them not. And the angel, which I saw stand upon the sea and 

 upon the earth, lifted up his hand to Heaven, and sware by him that 

 liveth forever and ever, who created Heaven, and the things that therein 

 are, and the eartli, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the 

 things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.'''' But far 

 greater is the true Christian in the act of death. He sets one foot in the 

 grave, and the other in the very porch of Heaven ; being enabled, 

 through Christ, to proclaim destruction to death and the grave. "Oh, 

 death, I will be thy plagues: oh, grave, I will be thy destruction. Oh, 

 death, where is now thy sting ! Oh, grave, where is now thy victory \ " 

 Then, too, can he add, without fear, "Farewell, my body, my mortal 

 part! Why shouldst thou, my soul, be loth to part with thine old com- 

 panion, to leave thy clay cottage, and to be without a body? Behold, thy 

 Maker, and the spiritual and heavenly inhabitants, have no gross bodies 

 such as thine ! Hast thou ever seen a prisoner, when his jail doors were 

 broke open, and himself manumitted and set loose at liberty? — and have 

 you then heard him complain to take leave of his prison-house, and 

 refuse to forego his fetters? Or, hast thou seen a wave-worn mariner, 

 who has long been tossed and troubled on his stormy voyage, when 

 arrived in sight of his native port, refuse to strike sail and enter in ; 

 choosing rather to launch back again into the perilous main? Why 

 then, my soul, shouldst thou be thus fear-stricken and discomforted, at 

 parting from this mortal bride, thy body? It is but for a time, and 

 such a time as the body shall feel no need of thee, nor thou of her; and 

 thou shalt again receive her back more goodly and beautiful, purified and 

 perfected by absence, like unto that crystal which after the revolution 

 of some ages, is said to be turned into the purest diamond ; now, unto 

 him who by his apostle, hath assured us after " our earthly house of this 

 tabernacle shall be dissolved" and moulder into dust, we have a build- 

 ing of God, an house not made with hands, "eternal in the heavens," — 

 unto Him be glory and dominion and praise forever! Amen. 



In the Convention it was 



Resolved, That the thanks of this Convention be given to the Rev. Dr. 

 Smith for his sermon preached at the funeral of the Rev. Dr. Griffith, 

 and that he be requested to furnish the Convention with a copy for 

 publication. 



We have said that one United Church was first constituted out 

 of the separated ecclesiastical bodies in the States in 1789: and 

 that to effect this happy state of unity was a work of difficulty. 



The Proposed Book, Dr. White's tract, *' The State of the Epis- 



