,transcribed from the #ahdg ,josiah     
,fletcher edition by ,david ,price4     
,,the ,,christian ,,serving ,,his ,,own 
,,generation4                           
99 99 99 99 99                          
,a ,,sermon                             
,,occasioned ,,by ,,the ,,lamented      
,,death ,,of                            
,,joseph ,,john ,,gurney1 ,,esq41       
,,and ,,preached ,,in                   
,,prince',s ,,street ,,chapel1          
,,norwich1                              
,,on                         ,,sunday   
,,evening1 ,,jan4 #agth1 #ahdg1         
,,by ,,john ,,alexander4                
99 99 99 99 99                          
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,published ,,at ,,the ,,request ,,of   
,,the ,,congregation4                   
99 99 99 99 99                          
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,norwich3                 ,,printed    
,,by ,,josiah ,,fletcher1 ,,upper       
,,haymarket2                            
,,sold ,,also ,,by                      

,,jarrold ,,and ,,sons1 ,,london        
,,street2                               
,,london3 ,,jackson ,,and ,,walford4    
#ahdg4                                  
99 99 99 99 99    ,the following sermon1
 which the ,author composed and preached
 without  the slightest intention of    
publishing it1 and which he prepared for
 the  press at the bedside of a dying   
son1 is now presented to his            
congregation1 in compliance with their  
earnest request2 and to the  public1 in 
the hope that they will mildly censure  
its defects1 and  that they will imitate
 the example of ,christian excellence   
which it  describes4    ,some additional
 extracts from ,mr4 ,gurney's works are 
now inserted1  which were omitted in the
 delivery of the discourse4          ,a 
,,sermon4                               
,,acts ,,xiii1 #cf4        8,for ,david1
 after he had served his own generation 
by the will of      ,god1 fell on sleep1
 and was laid unto his fathers40        
,,there are1 as you will readily        

perceive1 several interesting points of 
resemblance1 between ,david1 here spoken
 of1 and our beloved and honoured       
friend1 whose lamented death has        
occasioned this discourse4  ,both of    
them  became religious early in life2   
and consecrated their youth to the ,god 
of  their fathers4  ,both of them were  
men after ,god's own heart2 who1 in the 
midst of human infirmities and          
imperfections1 reverenced the divine    
authority1 looked for pardon and        
salvation to the divine mercy1 and      
esteemed the divine loving-kindness to  
be better than life4  ,both of them  had
 the tongue and the pen of a ready      
writer2 and said much1 and wrote  much1 
for the edification of the church of    
,god4  ,both of them contributed        
largely and cheerfully of their own     
property1 for the support and  extension
 of the cause of ,god and of true       
religion4  ,both of them1 when  brought 
into various tribulations1 found it good
 to be afflicted1 and  made the         

everlasting covenant of their ,god1 all 
their salvation and all  their desire4  
,and of both of them it may with        
propriety be said1 in the  language of  
our text1 8,they served their own       
generation by the will of  ,god2 they   
fell on sleep2 and they were laid to    
their fathers40  ,there are  also1 as   
you are aware1 some points of difference
 between them1 as well  as of           
resemblance2 to which1 however1 it is   
not needful to refer  particularly2     
especially as ,i am desirous to direct  
your attention1 in  this discourse1 not 
so much to specific instances of        
resemblance between  these holy men1 as 
to the beautiful accordance which there 
is between the  description given in our
 text1 and the life and character of    
,mr4 ,gurney4  ,there are indeed various
 terms by which he might be             
appropriately  designated2 yet the one  
which is used in our text1 though in    
some  respects the humblest1 is perhaps 
the best4  ,he was a servant2 and till  

he fell asleep in death1 and was laid   
unto his fathers1 he was employed  in   
serving his own generation by the will  
of ,god4  ,i think that all who  were   
acquainted with him1 will acknowledge   
that his whole life was  service2       
service as opposed to selfishness1 and  
idleness1 and  injuriousness2 service   
done for ,god1 on behalf of the church  
and the  world2 and service which he was
 prompted to undertake by ,jesus ,christ
 his  ,lord and ,master1 and from the   
exercise of which he became eminently   
beneficial to society1 and eminently    
holy and happy in his own person4  ,as  
he was1 to a great extent1 a public man1
 well known not only to you  who compose
 this numerous congregation1 but to most
 of our  fellow-citizens1 and to many of
 our fellow-countrymen1 ,i may without  
impropriety speak of him more freely and
 more fully than ,i would speak of  a   
more private individual2 and especially 
as ,i am desirous that his  character   
and conduct1 as a christian servant1    

should be clearly and  influentially    
perceived by us all2 that by the grace  
of ,god we may  imitate his example1 and
 enable survivors to say of each one of 
us1 8,he  served his own generation by  
the will of ,god1 and fell on sleep1 and
 was  laid unto his fathers40  ,in order
 therefore to describe and recommend to 
you the christian servant1 we shall     
consider the office which he  sustains2 
the manner in which he is to discharge  
it2 and the state in  which it          
terminates4    ,i4  ,let us consider1 in
 the first place1 ,,the ,,office ,,which
 ,,he ,,sustains4  ,i  make this a      
distinct and primary subject of         
consideration1 not that there  is any   
difficulty in ascertaining what         
christian service is1 but because  ,i am
 desirous you should perceive and feel  
that it is an essential part  of        
christian character4  ,it is true that  
the office of servant is not the  only  
one which a man of ,god sustains2 nor is
 the name the only one which  is        

descriptive of his character and life4  
,he is a disciple2 who sits at  the feet
 of ,jesus1 and learns from his word the
 great mystery of  godliness4  ,he is a 
professor of ,christ's gospel2 who      
publicly declares  his belief of its    
doctrines1 and his subjection to its    
authority4  ,he is  a soldier2 who      
endures hardness1 and fights the good   
fight of faith4  ,and  he is a son2 a   
child of ,god2 a partaker of the spirit 
of adoption1  whereby he cries ,abba1   
,father2 and an heir of ,god through    
,jesus ,christ4  ,but he is a servant1  
in a sense which includes these names   
and  relationships1 and which describes 
a condition1 in some respects superior  
to them all4  ,as a servant is one who  
is subject to the authority of  another 
person1 and is employed on his behalf1  
so a christian is in  willing subjection
 to ,god1 and is employed by and for his
 ,master in  heaven4  ,formerly he was  
in the service of ,satan1 serving divers
 lusts  and passions2 but from that     

service he has been redeemed1 not with  
corruptible things1 such as silver and  
gold1 but with the precious blood  of   
,christ2 and from that service he has   
been called by the effectual  voice of  
the ,holy ,spirit1 who has constrained  
him to renounce sin1 and  ,satan1 and   
the world1 and to consecrate his service
 to the ,lord4  8,know  ye not that to  
whom ye yield yourselves servants to    
obey1 his servants ye  are to whom ye   
obey2 whether of sin unto death1 or of  
obedience unto  righteousness4  ,but    
,god be thanked1 that1 though ye were   
the servants of  sin1 ye have obeyed    
from the heart that form of doctrine    
which was  delivered to you4  ,being    
then made free from sin1 ye became the  
servants  of righteousness40    ,the man
 who thus becomes the servant of ,god1  
receives a qualification and  a         
commission to serve both the church and 
the world--to serve the church1  by     
seeking the spirituality1 union1 and    
increase of its members2 and to  serve  

the world1 by seeking the temporal and  
spiritual welfare of all  mankind4      
,without the desire and the practice of 
service such as this1  religion would be
 but an empty name1 or a mere           
sentimental emotion4  ,it  would be1 not
 a living1 but a dead religion2 8for as 
the body without the  spirit is dead1 so
 faith without works is dead also40     
,this christian  service which is thus  
the effect1 becomes also the evidence of
 personal  piety4  ,there are some      
things1 the possession or the practice  
of which  are no decisive test of       
character4  ,you may be in membership   
with a  church of orthodox principles2  
and you may be the zealous advocate of  
denominational peculiarities2 and yet1  
by these very things1 you may be        
gratifying prejudice rather than piety2 
and your religious professions  and     
attachments1 may be only modifications  
of selfishness4  ,but if you  are found 
sustaining the office and discharging   
the duties of a servant  of ,christ1 you

 are walking in the footsteps of your   
,lord and ,master2 you  are living1 not 
to yourself1 but to him who died for you
 and rose again2  you are looking not at
 your own things only1 but at the things
 of others  also2 and therefore you love
 not in word1 or in tongue1 but in deed1
 and  in truth4    ,how perfectly was   
this office sustained by ,jesus ,christ1
 the servant of  ,god in the redemption 
of sinners4  ,he himself is ,lord of    
all2 the ,maker  and the ,monarch of the
 universe4  8,he was in the form of     
,god1 and thought  it not robbery to be 
equal with ,god2 but he made himself of 
no  reputation1 and took upon him the   
form of a servant40  ,and how perfectly 
this 8form0 was indicative of the       
reality4  8,the ,son of ,man came not to
  be ministered unto1 but to minister40 
8,i am among you1 said he to his        
disciples1 as one that serveth20 and    
when1 on one occasion1 he had girded    
himself with a towel1 and washed his    
disciples' feet1 he said1 8,i have      

given you an example1 that ye should do 
as ,i have done to you4  ,verily1       
verily1 ,i say unto you1 the servant is 
not greater than his ,lord2 neither  is 
he that is sent greater than he that    
sent him4  ,if ye know these  things1   
happy are ye if ye do them40  ,happy    
indeed6 for both happiness  and honour  
are derived1 not from exalting1 but from
 humbling ourselves2  not from          
self-indulgence1 but from self-denial2  
and from a cordial and  practical       
imitation of ,him1 who was meek and     
lowly in heart1 and who went  about     
doing good4  ,how peculiarly and        
prominently was this the character  of  
our departed friend4  ,how much he had  
received of his ,master's spirit1  and  
how willing he was to walk in his       
,master's steps4  ,many of you1 my      
brethren1 ,i trust have so received1 and
 are so inclined4  ,let us  therefore   
follow him as he followed ,christ4  ,and
 as we profess to sustain  the office of
 ,christian servants1 let us now give   

the more earnest heed  to the apostolic 
injunction1 8,let every one of us please
 his neighbour1  for his good1 to       
edification40    ,,ii4  ,such being the 
office1 which the ,christian servant    
sustains1 let us  consider1 in the      
second place1 ,,the ,,manner ,,in       
,,which ,,it ,,is ,,to ,,be             
,,discharged4  8,he is to ,serve his own
 generation by the will of ,god40       
,here1 you perceive1 is a course of     
conduct regulated by an important       
principle2 both of which are to be      
included in our consideration of the    
manner in which this office is to be    
discharged4  ,on an ordinary  occasion1 
,i would have described and illustrated 
this conduct1 and this  principle1 by an
 express reference to scripture         
doctrine1 precept1 and  example4  ,but  
it is our privilege to have had among us
 an individual1  well and publicly      
known1 who sustained this office1 and   
whose life and  character afford an     
impressive illustration of the manner in

 which it  should be discharged2 and    
therefore1 as ,peter 8freely0 spake to  
the  people1 of the patriarch ,david1   
who served his own generation by the    
will  of ,god1 ,i shall now freely speak
 to you of our departed friend and      
brother1 as an example of the same      
religious service4    ,in the first     
place then1 ,a ,,christian ,,is ,,to    
,,serve ,,his ,,own ,,generation4  ,he  
may indeed be the means of serving      
future generations also4  ,while  ,david
 was serving the men and the            
institutions of his own time1 his       
prayer was1 8,now also when ,i am old   
and grey headed1 ,o ,god1 forsake me    
not1 until ,i have shewed thy strength  
to this generation1 and thy power  to   
every one that is to come40  ,and the   
,god to whom this prayer was  addressed1
 enabled him to accomplish his desire1  
by the preparations  which he made for  
the erection of the future temple1 and  
by the ,psalms  which he composed1 and  
which have contributed so richly to the 

instruction and comfort of our own and  
of preceding generations4  ,martyrs  and
 ,reformers of old1 who1 as servants of 
,christ1 were faithful even unto  death1
 and sealed their service with their    
blood1 were also thereby the  means of  
securing benefits to the church and the 
world1 which have come  down from their 
days to our own1 and by which we        
ourselves are  established and blessed4 
,and our beloved friend too1 who has    
served the  present generation1 will    
serve the future also4  8,he1 being     
dead1 yet  speaketh10 and he will       
continue to speak1 not only by the      
remembrance of  his holy example1 but   
also by the vigour which he has imparted
 to many of  our benevolent and         
religious institutions1 and by the books
 which he has  published1 and which     
future generations will read4  ,of every
 truly  ,christian servant it may       
therefore be said1 even when he rests   
from his  labours1 that his works do    
follow him4  ,his years are thereby     

prolonged  to many generations4  ,he    
lives on earth1 and in heaven1 at the   
same time4  ,and blessed is that        
servant1 who1 amidst the repose and joy 
of his  celestial home1 is crowned by   
the benedictions of men of generations  
subsequent to his own1 to whose         
salvation he was the means of           
contributing4  ,but let no one aim at   
the future1 to the neglect of the       
present4  ,let no one withhold time1 and
 self-denial1 and personal effort1  from
 the present1 with the intention of     
making an atonement by levying a  tax on
 his property for the future4  ,let no  
one accumulate1 and hoard up  now1 with 
the intention of letting a portion go   
when he can no longer  retain it4  ,but 
let every man be his own executor1 as   
far as he is able1  and let him         
endeavour to serve future generations by
 generously and  religiously serving his
 own4    ,the present generation is     
emphatically 8our own20 and1 therefore1 
it  has upon us peculiar claims4  ,every

 good man has been converted and        
sanctified by the grace of ,god1 in     
order that he may be qualified and      
disposed to serve it4  ,the objects     
which have the first claim upon our     
service1 are our own families2 nor are  
we to undertake the service of a        
philanthropist1 of a ,sunday school     
teacher1 or even of a preacher of the   
gospel1 to their neglect and injury2    
8for if any man provide not for his     
own1 and specially for those of his own 
house1 he hath denied the faith1  and is
 worse than an infidel40  ,those among  
whom we are placed as  neighbours1      
demand our service next2 and so on1     
according to our means  and             
opportunities1 till the circle of our   
service is as wide as the  family of    
man4  ,our charity1 which may thus begin
 at home1 is therefore  not to end      
there2 but must resemble the service    
rendered by the sun1 who  sheds his     
light and sweet influences1 first on the
 planets which are  nearest to his      

centre1 and then extends them to those  
which lie at the  remote circumference4 
,our ,christian brother1 now departed1  
so faithfully served his own            
generation1 that his conduct in this    
respect may furnish an influential  rule
 and encouragement to ourselves2 and    
though we may not have the means  and   
capacities which he possessed1 yet from 
his extensive service1 we may  learn how
 to conduct our own1 according to the   
ability which ,god hath  given us4  ,he1
 then1 served his own generation1 by a  
public profession  of the gospel of     
,christ4  ,in early life he was placed  
in circumstances  where he was free to  
choose whom he would serve2 and he had  
wealth1 and  talents1 and attractive    
influences1 which would have gained him 
a cordial  welcome among the men of the 
world1 who have their portion in this   
life4  ,but he came out from among them1
 and was separate4  ,he determined to   
become a disciple of ,christ1 not       
secretly1 for fear of the frown or      

ridicule of the world1 but publicly1    
declaring himself to society and to  the
 church1 as a ,christian man1 bound to  
act on ,christian principles1 and  to   
exhibit them publicly and practically in
 all his religious and his  secular     
affairs4  ,this was a most appropriate  
act of ,christian service2  and the     
moral courage which he manifested in    
thus following out his  convictions1 by 
confessing ,christ before men1 is a     
noble example to the  men of his own    
class1 and of his own generation4       
8,vain10 says he1 8will  be our belief  
in the glad tidings of salvation through
 the crucified  ,immanuel1 unless it be 
followed by a holy decision of mind1 in 
giving up  ourselves to ,god4  ,the want
 of this holy decision1 may be regarded 
as  the second grand cause of the       
imperfections which so often interrupt  
our  conformity to the divine will4     
,when ,saul was arrested in his career  
of  violence1 by a light and voice from 
above1 he #8was not disobedient to the  

heavenly vision2' he surrendered at     
discretion to the all-conquering        
,saviour2 forsook1 at once1 his self    
righteousness and self will1 and        
became1 without reserve1 what every     
,christian ought to be1 a servant of    
the ,lord4  ,the die was cast1 which for
 ever determined his adherence to  the  
cause of ,jesus ,christ and him         
crucified40 #aa    ,he served his own   
generation by a consistent and          
influential character4  ,he not only    
began well in his ,christian course1 but
 having obtained help  of ,god1 he      
continued in it1 even to the end4       
,suppose it had been  otherwise4        
,suppose that1 after he had made a      
public profession of the  gospel1 he had
 renounced it2 or1 by some act or course
 of immorality1 had  profaned it4  ,what
 a frightful supposition6  ,can you     
estimate the evil  and the disservice of
 such an apostacy8  ,how would the      
church have  mourned1 not as she did at 
his death1 with sorrow softened with    

hope1 but  with bitter tears1 and a     
broken heart2 and how would the enemies 
of truth  and purity have rejoiced and  
blasphemed6  ,can you then estimate the 
service which he rendered to ,christ and
 to his church1 by that long  course of 
holy and consistent conduct which1 by   
the grace of ,god1 he was  enabled to   
pursue2 and during which he was neither 
ashamed of the gospel  nor a shame unto 
it4  ,brethren1 let us watch and pray1  
that we may thus  serve ,god ourselves1 
and let us devoutly listen to the charge
 which our  divine ,master is ever      
addressing to his servants1 8,be thou   
faithful unto  death1 and ,i will give  
thee a crown of life40    ,he served his
 own generation by his liberal          
contributions1 which he  rendered to the
 cause of humanity and religion4        
,giving money1 in due  proportion1 and  
to proper objects1 was placed by him    
among the duties  inculcated by religion
 and benevolence2 and his giving was    
distinguished1  not only by the         

largeness of its amount1 but by the     
manner in which it  was conducted4  ,he 
gave cheerfully1 constantly1 and        
religiously4  ,if you  have ever been   
refused money1 when you have asked it   
for a really  deserving case1 the       
refusal was not from ,mr4 ,gurney4  ,if1
 after long and  beseeching entreaty1   
you have received a donation grudgingly1
 it was not  from ,mr4 ,gurney4  ,there 
were sometimes cases when he might have 
excused  himself1 by pleading the amount
 he had already given to similar        
objects1  or the claims and the         
peculiarities of his own religious      
denomination2  but1 though he would not 
give against the convictions of his     
conscience1  yet his giving was         
evidently limited only by those         
convictions1 and by  the range of his   
own means4  8,i only wish to keep my    
head fairly above  water10 was the      
remark which he made to a friend1 who   
had received a  donation from him for a 
religious purpose1 just after he had    

been giving  some large sums of money2  
and when an effort was being made1 some 
time  ago1 to induce persons to become  
collectors for a charitable institution 
in this city1 to which he had given     
liberally1 he said1 8,it sometimes      
requires more self-denial to ask for    
contributions than it does to give      
them1 and the most liberal people are   
often those who beg1 not those who      
give40  ,you know how he remembered the 
poor2 and ,i shall never forget the     
gratification which he expressed when   
the ,district ,visiting ,society was    
established1 because1 as he then said1  
he had the means of sending money  to   
the poor1 in a way that would secure its
 proper distribution4  ,i have  said    
that he gave religiously4  ,he regarded 
his possessions as a sacred  trust1     
committed to him by his divine ,master1 
for the supply of the wants  of others  
as well as of his own2 and he felt his  
responsibility as a  steward who would  
soon be called to give an account of    

himself unto ,god4  ,what he gave1      
therefore1 was given unto the ,lord2 and
 many a cup of water  has he given to   
his disciples1 because they belonged to 
,christ4  ,how many  lessons of wisdom  
and religion1 relative to the principle 
and mode of  giving1 may thus be learned
 from the example of our departed       
brother1 who  never saw an object of    
necessity or distress and then 8passed  
by on the  other side10 but whose oil1  
and wine1 and purse1 were always ready  
for  the necessities of his neighbour4  
,he served his own generation by        
personal efforts4  ,his gifts were not  
merely pecuniary4  ,it was his own      
maxim1 that a man may give much money1  
and yet exercise very little of         
benevolence or of self-denial4  ,he gave
  what1 to a man in his circumstances1  
was often more valuable than gold--he   
gave time1 and personal attention1 and  
laborious effort1 to assist in the      
working of many of the public           
institutions with which he was          

connected2  and till circumstances      
rendered it needful that he should in   
some measure  withdraw his personal     
attendance1 he was one of our most      
punctual and  regular committee men2 and
 sometimes undertook service which      
others  preferred to decline4  ,many of 
our public institutions are really      
conducted by comparatively few          
individuals2 and it will be a great     
advantage to the societies themselves1  
and to the public at large1 when  we    
have a greater number of men who1 like  
,joseph ,john ,gurney1 will be  seen in 
our committee rooms1 and on our         
platforms1 giving their presence  and   
influence1 as well as their silver and  
gold4    ,i need not say that1 among his
 personal efforts1 he served his own    
generation by his writings4  ,in the    
many volumes which he has  published1   
there are of course the expression and  
the advocacy of his  peculiar opinions  
as a ,dissenter1 and as a ,friend2 but  
his writings are  characterized1 not by 

these peculiarities1 but by what is     
common to the  church of ,god4  ,they   
are full of the truth as it is in       
,jesus4  ,some of  them are eminently   
critical1 argumentative1 and learned2   
all of them are  eminently excellent in 
their sentiments and influence2         
containing no  words which1 8when dying1
 he need wish to blot10 but only such as
 were  serviceable to the interests of  
sobriety1 righteousness1 and godliness4 
,but he also served his own generation  
by seizing present opportunities  of    
usefulness1 and by acting in accordance 
with the requirements of the  times4    
,he was greatly impressed with the      
importance of thus acting2 and  during  
the eventful period in which he lived1  
he had many opportunities  of           
manifesting it4  ,when such             
opportunities presented themselves1 he  
never lingered till they were lost1 but 
whatsoever his hand found to do1  he did
 it with all his might4  ,he was a      
servant1 who not only 8knew his  ,lord's

 will10 but also 8prepared himself40    
,he was one of those 8who had           
understanding of the times1 to know what
 ,israel ought to do40  ,when  therefore
 he was appealed to by the cause of     
,education1 of ,prison  ,discipline1 of 
,slave ,emancipation1 of the ,bible     
,society1 of the ,poor1 or  by any      
department of service which occurred to 
him as a ,christian  minister1 he       
promptly responded to the call2 and by  
his persevering  labours1 imparted      
strength and courage to his coadjutors4 
,in such cases  he sometimes manifested 
a degree of tact and holy wisdom1 which 
showed  how heartily he was devoted to  
his object4  ,this appears very much in 
his  writings2 and in some of his       
letters1 inserted in the unpublished    
life of  the late ,lord ,suffield2 and  
the anxious desire which he felt that   
his  ,lordship's mind might be brought  
under the influence of religion1 as the 
only right principle of action1 and as  
the only spring of joy1 is truly        

beautiful and affecting4  ,for instance1
 when referring to the subject of       
,prison ,discipline1 he says1 8,i truly 
rejoice in thy thus being enabled to    
employ thy time1 talents1 and influence1
 in the cause of humanity2 and  may ,i  
not say1 ,christianity8  ,most heartily 
do ,i wish thee well on thy  way1 and   
may the preserving power of the ,lord be
 with thee1 to protect1  bless1 and     
sanctify all thy proceedings1 and thy   
whole self1 in body1  soul1 and spirit40
  ,in another letter he says1 8,so much 
for politics2  with regard to my last   
subject--religion--,i was a little      
afraid lest thy  silence might indicate 
dissent1 and ,i am truly rejoiced to    
find it  otherwise4  ,to salute thee as 
a brother1 in #8him who died for us and 
rose again1' is a pleasure indeed6  ,i  
cannot consent to keep silence on  this 
subject1 though ,i feel with thee how   
much it requires all our  reverence2 but
 ,i remember what a certain prophet     
said1 #8they that  feared the ,lord     

spake often one to another4'  ,i am     
however quite aware  that there are     
right times and seasons2 that the temple
 must not be  polluted by unhallowed    
feet2 and that our feet are too apt to  
be  unhallowed1 unless they are first   
#8shod with the preparation of the      
gospel of peace4'0  8,i cannot express10
 says he in another place1 8what ,i     
think of the value of those religious   
convictions which are hinted at in  thy 
letter4  ,i consider them to be beyond  
all price1 because the work1  not of    
man1 but of ,god4  ,i should conceive   
that it must have been through  much    
mental conflict that thou hast come at  
them1 for ,i have long found  occasion  
to believe that we must be made in some 
measure partakers of the  sufferings of 
,christ1 before we can enjoy the        
privileges of true  religion4  #8,are ye
 willing to drink of the cup that ,i    
drink of8'  #8,after  what is past1 it  
is impossible not to feel a warm        
personal interest in  thee4'  #8,such a 

heart and mind are talents to be        
employed in thy  ,master's service4'0   
,can you conceive of any thing more     
spiritually  beautiful than these       
extracts are8  ,and who can hear them   
without  thanking ,god on the writer's  
behalf8    ,and to shew how naturally   
and gracefully he could mingle religion 
with  the common affairs of life1 ,i may
 relate to you an incident which was    
told me by a friend1 who one day        
happened to travel with ,mr4 ,gurney1   
and  some other persons1 on the outside 
of the coach4  ,when they had proceeded 
a few miles1 ,mr4 ,gurney said1 8as we  
started rather early this morning1 ,i   
was not able1 at home1 to read my       
portion of ,scripture1 so that if there 
be no objection1 ,i will read a chapter 
aloud40  ,he did so1 making  suitable   
remarks on the verses as he read them1  
and diffusing such a  hallowed influence
 on those around him1 that my friend    
said1 8it was one  of the happiest days 
,i ever spent40  ,now1 with ,mr4        

,gurney1 the doing such  a thing as     
that1 was as free from ostentation1 as  
it was from  awkwardness4  ,it was a    
deed of 8simplicity and godly           
sincerity20 and was  so conducted1 as to
 seem as appropriate for the top of a   
coach1 as for a  meeting house1 or a    
cathedral4  ,there is a paragraph in one
 of his  unpublished manuscripts1 which 
is in beautiful harmony with this       
anecdote1 and which may possibly have   
some reference to it4  ,after  speaking 
of the duty and importance of 8always   
being on the watch1 to  make a good use 
of our time10 he says1 8,i have         
sometimes endeavoured to  apply these   
principles to travelling1 in which a    
considerable portion  of the time of    
some persons is almost unavoidably      
occupied4  ,a call of  duty or business1
 may often carry us to places at a      
distance from our own  homes4  ,is the  
time1 taken up by the journey1 to be one
 of mere  indolence8  ,is the           
convenience of being conveyed from one  

place to  another1 to be the only profit
 which it shall yield8  ,ought we not   
rather  to make a point1 on such        
occasions1 of adding to our stock of    
knowledge1  and of useful ideas1 by     
reading1 by conversation1 and           
reflection8  ,is  there no object of    
interest which may be examined by the   
way8  ,is there  no person of piety or  
talent1 with whom we may find a passing 
opportunity  of communicating8  ,are the
 motions of the coach or chariot so     
rapid1 that  we cannot leave behind us1 
as we pass from place to place1         
important  instruction in the form of   
,bibles1 ,testaments1 or tracts8  ,much 
may not  be required of us2 but it is   
well1 if on our arrival at our place of 
destination1 we can acknowledge that we 
have both received and  communicated a  
little good in the course of our        
journey40  ,and again4  8,as the servant
 who waits well on his master1 is ever  
on the qui vive  to know what will be   
next wanted1 so are we to wait on the   

hours1 and  even on the moments of each 
passing day1 to know what duties they   
point  out to us1 or what employments   
they suggest for the improvement of our 
minds40    ,thus it was1 brethren1 that 
our departed friend endeavoured to      
discharge  the office of a servant in   
his own generation4  ,he served it1 by a
 public  profession of the gospel of    
,christ2 by a consistent and influential
  character2 by his liberal             
contributions to the cause of humanity  
and  religion2 by his personal efforts  
and writings2 and by seizing present    
opportunities of usefulness1 and acting 
in accordance with the  requirements of 
the times4    ,but we have still to     
remark1 secondly1 that a ,christian is  
to serve his  own generation ,,in       
,,accordance ,,with ,,the ,,will ,,of   
,,god4  ,the text may indeed  be read1  
8after he had1 in his own generation1   
served the will of ,god40  ,but even    
this arrangement of the words implies1  
that the service which he  rendered1 in 

the midst of his own generation1 was    
according to the will  of ,god2 and as  
this refers to the principle and motive 
of ,christian  service1 it can be       
applied1 equally with the former        
expression1 to the  service rendered by 
our ,christian brother1 the strongest   
desire of whose  heart it was1 so to    
serve as to please ,god4    ,a man may  
do right acts from wrong motives4  ,the 
,pharisees gave alms to  the poor4      
,that was right4  ,but their motive in  
giving1 was to be seen of  men4  ,that  
was wrong4  ,it was seeking to please   
men rather than ,god1 who  trieth the   
hearts4  ,no action can be religious    
which has not its motive  and its end in
 ,god1 and which is not in accordance   
with his will4  ,the  man1 therefore1   
who properly and acceptably serves his  
own generation1  must do it by the will 
of ,god4  ,this was exactly the opinion 
of our  beloved friend4  8,paul10 says  
he1 often declares himself to be 8an    
apostle by the will of ,god4  ,now we   

may rest assured that had not his  will 
been surrendered at discretion1 he would
 neither have been enabled  to lead a   
life of holiness1 nor have been         
qualified for his peculiar path  of     
religious duty4  ,his whole work and    
service would have been marred2  and he 
would have been comparable to nothing   
better than a stunted tree1  bringing   
forth fruit destined not to ripen4      
,such a sacrifice of the  will1 is      
indeed absolutely necessary1 not merely 
to the general purposes  of virtue1 but 
to the specific value and usefulness of 
every member of  the church of ,christ40
    ,acting on these great principles1  
our departed brother served his own     
generation in accordance with the       
revealed will of ,god in the ,bible4    
,whatever peculiarities distinguished   
him as a member of the ,society of      
,friends1 he believed them to be in     
conformity with the holy ,scriptures2   
and ,i am sure that1 so far as the      
office of a christian servant is        

concerned1 he would acknowledge no will 
that appeared to him to be  contrary to 
8the will of ,god0 as revealed in the   
inspired volume4  ,if he  followed the  
light within himself1 it was because he 
believed it to be  from the same divine 
source with the light without1 which    
shines upon the  sacred pages4  ,he was 
a most attentive and devout reader of   
this holy  book1 not only in the family1
 but in the closet1 and in the study2   
and it  was not unusual with him to     
invite the visitors at his house to join
 him  in those morning readings in the  
,greek ,testament1 in which1 after      
breakfast1 he was accustomed to engage4 
,the frequency and devotion with  which 
he searched the scriptures1 to ascertain
 his ,lord's will1 he  earnestly        
recommended to others2 and you are all  
witnesses how often1 in  his ,bible     
society ,speeches1 he repeated and      
enforced the apostolic  declaration1    
8all scripture is given by inspiration  
of ,god1 and is  profitable for         

doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1  
and for instruction  in righteousness40 
,he served his own generation1 under a  
deep conviction of the supreme and      
rightful authority of ,god over him4    
,there are many persons who live and    
act on the principle that they have a   
right to do what they will with         
themselves1 and with what they call     
their own4  8,our lips1 say they1 are   
our own1 who is ,lord over us80  8,i am 
not my own10 was the language of  our   
christian brother4  8,i belong to       
,christ1 my ,lord and ,master40  ,and in
  language literally his own1 he        
declares1 8there is nothing more        
distasteful to the natural man1 than the
 piercing spirituality1 the             
comprehensive grasp1 and the binding    
authority of ,god's precepts4  ,the     
child of darkness prefers his own       
devices--he is a rebel to the core4     
,but  ,christianity requires an         
uncompromising compliance with the whole
 counsel  of ,god as it relates to our  

conduct4  ,our whole life must be       
regulated by  the directions of his     
perfect law4  ,no rebellious feeling1 no
 corrupt  motive or thought must be     
harboured2 no favourite sin spared2 no  
unwelcome duty omitted40 #ai    ,he     
served also in remembrance of his       
responsibility to ,god4  ,every step  he
 took in this service1 he felt was on   
his way to the judgment seat1  there to 
give an account of himself unto ,god4   
,and we1 be it remembered1  are         
perpetually approaching the same        
tribunal4  ,we can no more get rid of   
our responsibility1 than we can of our  
immortality4  ,whether we admit it  or  
deny it2 whether we declare ourselves to
 be accountable to ,god1 or  independent
 of ,god2 the great white throne is     
before us1 and he that sits  upon it1   
8will bring every work into judgment1   
and every secret thing1  whether it be  
good or bad40    ,and1 once more1 he    
served under a deep sense of obligation 
to ,god4  ,there is no motive in the    

universe of such mighty power1 in the   
divine  service1 as the love of ,christ 
to sinners2 his love in redemption2 his 
love in dying for the ungodly4  8,the   
love of ,christ constraineth us40  ,and 
while it constrains us to love ,christ1 
who redeemed us with his  precious      
blood1 it also constrains us to         
persevere in a course of  christian     
service1 with an alacrity and           
devotedness which no other motive  could
 inspire4  ,oh6 how this was felt by our
 beloved friend4  ,what a  master motive
 to his heart was the love of ,christ in
 becoming the  propitiation for our     
sins6  ,in his speeches1 and in his     
writings1 what  lofty inspiration did   
the theme produce6 and how he seemed to 
feel as if  he could never say enough1  
nor do enough1 to testify his obligation
 to  that benignant ,master1 8who loved 
him1 and gave himself for him60         
,delightful as it is1 thus to speak of  
one1 who1 after this manner1 served  his
 own generation according to the will of

 ,god1 we nevertheless desire  to say it
 all in perfect accordance with the     
doctrine1 that all his  disposition1 and
 all his capacity1 for his ,master's    
service1 was derived  entirely from his 
,master's grace4  ,i should be doing a  
grievous wrong1  not only to ,scripture 
sentiment1 but to his own most cherished
  convictions1 if ,i were in the least  
degree to intimate that any of his      
spiritual excellencies were either      
self-originated or meritoriously        
exercised4  ,no--amidst my highest      
admiration of his character1 ,i would   
remember the admonition which he gave to
 me1 when he met me on my way to  preach
 the funeral sermon for ,joseph         
,kinghorn--8praise the ,master1 not the 
servant20 and ,i do so when ,i say1 that
 all which the servant became1 the      
,master made him4  ,the same hand which 
gave him the reward of the faithful     
servant1 had previously given him the   
fidelity2 and1 therefore1 we  glorify   
,god in him2 and we carefully remember1 

that the holiest christian  on earth1   
and the brightest saint in heaven1      
willingly unite in the one  declaration1
 8,by the grace of ,god ,i am what ,i   
am40    ,,iii4  ,our remarks on the     
christian servant must now be brought to
 a  close2 and having considered the    
office which he sustains1 and the manner
  in which it is to be discharged1 ,i   
must briefly consider in the third      
place1 ,,the ,,state ,,in ,,which ,,it  
,,terminates4  8,for ,david1 after he   
had served  his own generation1 by the  
will of ,god1 fell on sleep1 and was    
laid unto  his fathers40    8,he fell on
 sleep0--not1 he died4  8,he that       
believeth on me1 says  ,christ1 shall   
never die40  ,he becomes absent from the
 body1 and is  present with the ,lord2  
but this is not dying4  ,it is not      
death1 to close  our eyes on earth1 and 
open them in heaven2 to lose the embrace
 of  earthly friendship1 and fall into  
the arms of ,christ4  ,this is not      
death2  nor is it even sleep1 so far as 

the spirit of the ,christian servant is 
concerned4  ,the spirit becomes absent  
from the body1 and present with the     
,lord4  ,it goes out of its tabernacle  
of clay1 into the house which is not    
made with hands1 eternal in the heavens2
 and there it joins the spirits  of just
 men made perfect1 in the general       
assembly and church of the  first-born4 
,but the body sleeps1 and sleeps in     
,jesus1 who redeemed it  with his       
precious blood2 who made it a temple for
 the ,holy ,ghost to dwell  in2 who will
 watch over its precious dust while it  
remains in the grave1  8waiting there   
for the adoption1 to wit the redemption 
of the body20 and  who1 when that       
morning of adoption dawns1 will 8come to
 wake it out of  sleep1 and to fashion  
it like unto his own glorious body20    
8for this  corruptible must put on      
incorruption1 and this mortal must put  
on  immortality40    8,and was laid unto
 his fathers40  ,the phrase in the ,old 
,testament is1  8,he was gathered to his

 people40  ,so far as it may refer to   
the body1 it  alludes to the gathering  
in the grave2 but even in the earliest  
times1  when the phrase was used1 it    
looked beyond the grave1 to the people  
whom  ,god had begun to gather round his
 throne4  ,and from the days of the     
patriarchs to our own1 the ,god of all  
grace has been still increasing the     
number1 and gathering his saints        
together1 8who have made a covenant with
  him by sacrifice40  ,and when the     
spirit of our departed friend entered   
the mansions of his ,father's house1 to 
what a numerous and a glorious  company 
was he gathered1 of those who had gone  
before1 in ancient and in  modern times4
  ,and while it is to ,christ1 that the 
gathering of the  people shall be1 and  
while he will be to them1 throughout    
eternity1 their  joy1 and glory1 and    
heaven1 yet blessed and celestial will  
be the  recognitions and the            
remembrances1 when the newly arrived    
guest is  introduced to his former      

companions and coadjutors4  ,what heart 
can  conceive of the heavenly joy with  
which our departed brother1 on his      
arrival there1 met with those eminent   
and holy men1 with whom1 when on  earth1
 he had taken sweet counsel1 in works of
 faith and labours of love4  ,what      
tongue can tell the greetings with which
 he was welcomed to the  ,marriage      
,supper of the ,lamb1 when he sat down  
with ,patriarchs1 and  ,prophets1 and   
,apostles1 and ,martyrs--with           
,wilberforce1 and ,simeon1 and  ,buxton1
 and the glorious company of the        
,redeemed1 in the presence of  ,christ  
the ,master of the feast6  ,oh6 to be   
thus gathered to the general  assembly  
and church of the first-born1 in that   
land of light and  immortality1 where   
there is no shade to dim its brightness2
 no sin to  defile its purity2 no       
tribulation to interrupt its joys2 no   
languor1 no  pain1 no disease1 to burden
 the willing spirit2 and no death to    
break up  the blessed family4  ,lord    

8gather not my soul with sinners40  ,let
 me1 ,o  ,lord1 be gathered to my       
fathers in ,christ4  8,let me die the   
death of the  righteous1 let my last end
 be like his60    ,well might 8devout   
men carry him to the grave1 and make    
great lamentation  for him40  ,well     
might the whole city assume the         
appearance of a  consecrated sabbath1   
and send forth its thousands and tens of
 thousands  to mourn at his funeral4    
,well might the voice of triumph mingle 
with the  voice of tears1 and exclaim at
 his sepulchre1 8,thanks be to ,god who 
hath  given him the victory1 through our
 ,lord ,jesus ,christ20 for 8a prince   
and  a great man has fallen in ,israel40
  ,and by his death1 which has brought  
such gain to himself1 the poor have lost
 a sympathizing benefactor2  society has
 lost a bright example2 the church of   
,christ has lost a  beloved brother1 a  
laborious servant1 and a faithful       
minister of the  gospel2 and his own    
mourning family have lost 8the desire of

 their eyes  with a stroke40  ,let us   
then endeavour to supply all this loss1 
as far as  we are able4  ,let each of us
 determine1 by the grace of ,god1 to    
serve our  own generation with          
increasing energy and devotedness4  ,and
 let the  review of his life1 and the   
rapidity of his death1 urge us all to be
  8steadfast and unmoveable1 always     
abounding in the work of the ,lord1     
forasmuch as we know that our labour is 
not in vain in the ,lord40          ,,by
 ,,the ,,same ,,author4      ,,the      
,,preacher ,,from ,,the ,,press4        
,sermons to explain and to recommend the
  ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4--#b vols41 
cloth boards1 ,price #fs4    ,,the      
,,death ,,of ,a ,,minister ,,an ,,event 
,,of ,,peculiar ,,importance4  ,a       
,funeral  ,sermon for the ,rev4 ,,john  
,,sykes1 of ,guestwick4    ,,the        
,,mourning ,,congregation ,,reminded    
,,of ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,their          
,,deceased  ,,minister4  ,a ,funeral    
,sermon for the ,rev4 ,joseph ,kinghorn1

 of ,norwich4    ,,church ,,membership4 
,an appeal to ,christians on the ,duty  
and ,importance of  ,communion with the 
,church4    ,,the ,,objects ,,and       
,,motives ,,of ,,modern                 
,,nonconformists4  ,a ,sermon preached  
at  the ,opening of ,hingham ,chapel4   
,,the ,,baptism ,,of ,,the ,,prince4  ,a
 ,sermon preached in anticipation of the
  ,baptism of his ,royal ,highness the  
,prince of ,wales4    ,,apostolic ,,ways
 ,,in ,,the ,,church4  ,the             
,introductory ,discourse delivered at   
the ,ordination of the ,rev4 ,,andrew   
,,reed1 ,b4,a4 in the ,old ,meeting     
,house1  ,norwich4          ,,footnotes4
      #aa  ,essay on ,love to ,god1 p4  
#aba4    #ai  ,essay on ,love to ,god1  
p4 #aag4