24 



pertinacity which assumes its name, and is as unlovely 

 as it is troublesome ; but to be firm on any point because 

 so is the will of God, and to unite that firmness with " the 

 meekness of wisdom," as did the Apostles, when forbid- 

 den to preach in the name of Jesus, is the highest 

 victory which man can achieve. And this brings me to 

 remark : 



9. That it was chiefly the piety of this beloved young 

 man by which he, being dead, yet speaketh. This was 

 his crowning virtue, and gave to his other virtues their 

 highest excellence, the character of holiness. This raised 

 his filial reverence into godly fear; his constitutional 

 cheerfulness into spiritual joy ; his natural kindness into 

 Christian benevolence ; his honesty into godly sincerity; 

 his modesty into humility ; his elevation of purpose into 

 devotion to Christ; his habits of industry into diligence 

 in duty ; and his firmness into conscientious obedience. 

 This stamped his virtues with immortality, and made his 

 bright career on earth an opening into unfading glory in 

 heaven. " All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man 

 as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the 

 flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord 

 endureth for ever, and this is that word which by the 

 gospel is preached unto you." 



The word of the Lord first took perceptible and per- 

 manent effect in his mind early in the year 1838, at the 



