m		
 
UNITED STATES  OF AMERICA.
^ •   .
FOUNDED  1836
WASHINGTON, D. C.
GPO  16—67244-1
B81���-4$D 
 
 
\
¥
DB. STRONG'S
jptmmtf &*rmon,
ON THE DEATH OF
DR. JOSHUA LATHROP.
? .
o m rj -> r ''• " - ■•• ■
J'JiiOLk.':,
,i. .-- ■... UlvC
•')-{ V."*'"•<'' 
 
      SERMON,

DELIVERED AT THE FUNERAL
OF
DR. JOSHUA LATHROP,
WHO DIED OCTOBER 29, 18or.


       AGED 84.
^!C. /77*~
V'
  BY JOSEPH STRONG, D. D.
"PASTOB. OF THE FIRST CiMHMfB IN NORWICH.
gu^glon ::L;viL^Ai:s office
6"
^
      HARTFORD:

PRINTED BV LINCOLN AND GLEASON.

          1808. 
 
FUNERAL SERMON
              II. CORINTHIANS V. *.

 Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upont
     that mortality might be swallowed up of life.


  JL HESE words present to  our  view,  a severe
 struggle between nature and grace.   They place be-
 fore us a good man, reluctant to encounter  life's last
 scenes; and at the same  time enraptured by the high
 destinies, which  await the  godly in the other world.
 It might have been  a recollection of those  pains  only
 which often mark the dying hour,  that operated thus
 powerfully upon the apostle's mind ;  though  by no
 means is it certain that such was  the fact.  There are
 other considerations which add  inconceivably to the
 unwelcome  aspect  of death,  beside  the  pains  with
 which it is attended.  It  can hardly be  imagined that
 a man, of such constitutional firmness of mind as St.
Paul, and who had already endured  " deaths oft" in his
 Master's cause,  would deprecate death in such strong
terms and shrink away from its  pains however excruci-
 ating.  Might it not be that his  unwelcome  anticipa- 
6
tion with respect to death,  arose in part from its con-
nection with the present life, to which all  are attached
and which few  relinquish without  a sigh.  Under  an
impression that such a conjecture is well founded, the
two following inquiries naturally arise to view and claim
our attention, through the remaining part of the present
season for  worship;—the  circumstances which  con-
spire to render being unclothed of the body so disa-
greeable  and  those  considerations  of  far superior
weight, which reconcile to the event.

  The wisdom and goodness  of God are manifested
to  no  small degree,  in so organizing man, that  he
shall answer, in the best manner the purposes of his be-
ing and particular location.   Made to tarry for a space
on earth, certain propensities are now absolutely essen-
tial, which in another state  would be useless  and per-
haps disadvantageous.   No propensity could be whol-
ly changed, or desire eradicated from the heart, with-
out leaving the probationer for eternity in a degree dis-
qualified to  answer  the interesting  designs  of  his
creation.   It cannot be expected, nor is  it to be wish-
ed, that the native structure even of the believer's mind
should be materially varied.   He will not cease to  be
one " of  like passions" till  he  has  actually arrived in
heaven.  Provided these reasonings  are correct, they
cannot fail to throw much light upon the leading branch
of  our subject.  They give their decided sanction to
the following remarks.

   There is implanted in every breast a  constitutional
love of life.  Such is the import of Solomon's words,
*' the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes
to  behold the  sun."  Nor does this remark by any 
7
means stand confined to  the  human race.  We  may
discover throughout the whole of animated nature,  a
constant effort for self-preservation.   The reptile ex-
erts its feeble powers to avoid the foot by which  it is
likely to be crushed ;  the bird shuns the fowler's snare;
die ox struggles hard to escape the knife;  nor is  man
less  a self-preserver,, except when bereft of reason,
blinded by passion,  or infatuated  by infidelity.  The
examples are  not rare, where misfortune, in its  most
oppressed forms, is preferred  to  death.   Let me live
and not die, is the  indication  of every look  and the
subject of the  most fervent prayer. The alternative pre-
sented to the  choice, is immediate death,  or a remnant
of days as miserable as they  are hopeless ; the  latter
commands every feeling of preference and is afterwards
a matter of warm self congratulation.
   And in addition to such a constitutional propensity ;
attachment to life is oftentimes much strengthened from
a  prolonged habit of feeling.   It  strengthens  as  cares
increase, as wealth accumulates, as family connections
multiply, and as general information advances. " The
eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with  hear-
 ing."   This principle assists to account for the attach-
ment of old people to life, beyond what.was visible when
they were young. The tree has been extending itself for
a long course of years.   In proportion to  the length  of
 its branches,  is the depth of its  roots, so that to force
 them up requires increased exertion and is a source  o£
 additional pain.  The youth lives in himself,  but it is
 true of the aged person that he lives in his children and
 other descendants.   As the ties of blood or affinity ex-
 tend, love proportionably increases, and  it is a propo- 
8
sition too self-evident to require formal proof, that love
thus particularly directed must have a powerful influ-
ence to increase the love of life generally.  Life and
its enjoyments, though separable in idea, are not so in
practice.  They insensibly entwine themselves, so as
to form out one common whole.

  It may also assist to explain why it is so disagreeable
to be unclothed, that the nature and effects of death, a$
they respect the body, are none of them pleasing.—*
Though  as was observed in the introduction to the dis-
course, this thought did  not exclusively dictate the
apostle's feelings, yet it will not be urged that it had no
effect upon them.  To die supposes  a  painful scene.
Its outlines are often marked with agony and distortion.
It is the harbinger of  oblivion,  writes  vanity  on
all  that  is  earthly, and  lowers down that  curtain
which shuts out  from the sight of friends and neigh-
bours, from opportunities for social and  religious inter-
course, from the congregation of God's people.  Words
cannot be more forcible  with  respect  to this  last
mentioned thought  than those  of Hezekiah,  when
he had been sick.   "  In  the  cutting off of my days,
I shall go to the gates of the grave : I am deprived
of  the residue of my years.   I  shall  not  see the
Lord,  even the Lord in the land of  the ,living.  I shall
behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
The grave cannot praise thee ; death cannot celebrate
thee;  they  that go  down  into the  pit cannot  hope
for thy truth.  The living, the living,  he shall praise
thee, as  I do this day ;  the father to the children shall
make  known thy truth." 
9
  The whole, which has been already said, commands
the sanction of universal feeling.  It is the language of
nature.   Unclothed, every personal interest is laid pro-
strate. The mansion now occupied is that where " there
is no wisdom, knowledge, nor device."  But it is not
barely feeling which addresses us upon the present sub-
ject.  Reason, seconded by revelation,  also presents
the good man with an argument against being uncloth-
ed.  No farther opportunity  is furnished him, to  be
useful in his day and generation.   We may be more
certain that this thought rested with weight  upon the
apostle's mind, when we recur to his language upon a
different occasion. " I am in a strait betwixt two, hav-
ing a desire to depart and be with Christ which is  far
better.   Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more need-
ful for you."
  Every thing which partakes of selfishness, here gives
place to benevolence ; personal enjoyment to  the ex-
tension of happiness.  What more noble motive can
there be to wish for prolonged exemption from the
grave, than to have it still in one's power to feed the
hungry and to clothe the  naked, comfort the widow
and the fatherless, lift up the hands which hang down
and strengthen the feeble knees, admonish those who
do wickedly, arrest  sin in its progress,  direct  the  in-
quiring mind, aid the progress of grace,  and  lead  in
" the way everlasting."   When the great crisis of na-
ture can be no longer avoided, those who have felt and
conducted thus, will have abundant cause  to adopt the
language of the devout Simeon and say "Lord now lettest
thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
not only have our eyes seen thy salvation, which thou
                         B 
10
 hast prepared before the  face of all people," but thou*
 hast made us the humble instruments of doing good
 and saving others.   These are the principal grounds of
 a preference,  to continue clothed " with the earthly
 house of this tabernacle."  They operate more or less  ;
 upon all, and are innocent or criminal according to the
 extent in which they are indulged.  Appointed for good
 purposes, it is unhappy indeed if we make them sub-
 servient to those which are bad.

   But being for these and other reasons, fond of a pro-
 longed pilgrimage on this side of the grave, does not
 prevent there being reasons of  a  superior and more
 pressing character, which urge a speedy departure.—  ,
 The text more than implies, it asserts  it to be fact.
 " Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed
 upon."

   It was proposed for the second article of discourse,
 to  investigate the grounds of the asserted preference.
 Indeed to say that  every ground of preference for death
 is correct, would be absurd if not impious.  It would
 be an affront to reason, an abuse of morals, and a pro-
 fanation of the sacred oracles.  How many have been
 known to express  their preference for death, from the
 influence of feelings altogether selfish !   What made
 their minds  preponderate to such a choice, was that  '
 they might be freed from present pain or avoid future
 suffering.  The}' incautiously indulged a wish which   J
 auguedtiie worst  with respect  to  their future  well-
being.    The pains  of  an  hour  so absorbed  their
 thoughts,  that they were wholly unmindful of those   i
pains which shall never have an  end.  They forgot to
 practise in conformity to the good resolution of Job, 
11
" all the days of mine appointed time will I wait, till
my change come."

  But though thus forbidden, to covet a discharge from
the pains  of earth because hard to endure ; there are
grounds which give entire consistency  to the wish.
Was freedom  from the exercise of depraved  disposi-
tion the wished for object, the inference would then be
as favourable as it was in the other  case unfavourable
and to be  deprecated. Nothing  short of heaven will do
away the indwellings of sin.  The person sanctified of
God, is in the habit of  considering himself in an ene-
my's land.  So far is he from " rolling sin as a sweet
morsel under his tongue," that he makes that excellent
prayer of the Psalmist daily his  own :  " Search me, O
God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts,
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting."   He says with  no small
emotion^ " woe is me! for I am undone, because I am
a man of  unclean lips,  and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips ;  for mine eyes have  seen the
king, the  Lord of hosts."  He exclaims, " how long
shall I remain a dweller in this land of deserts  and pits,
of drought and the shadow of death."  I wait for no-
thing but the  divine command to throw off this my
perishable clothing.   O that I might arise and be gone,
in full assurance never to revisit this place, " where the
pit and fear and sorrow are on  every side."
   But it will not do justice to the present  argument, to
dwell only upon the believer's  future exemption from
sin and misery. Heaven is more than a negative state.
Its freedom from evil both natural and moral, by no
means measures its  blessedness.  Hence the conclu. 
12
  ding clause of the text: " But clothed upon, that mor-
  tality might be swallowed up of life."  What is there
  great or enobling, delightful or improving, which being
  thus clothed upon does not imply ? It implies that when
  the believer arrives at his better home, he shall be cov-
  ered " with light, holiness, and joy."  It bespeaks the
  vision of God, copious draughts  from the river of
  pleasure, and the  unceasing duration  of every con-
  ceivable enjoyment.   Let  the  words of the apostle
  John, here serve  for a comment  upon those of £he
  apostle Paul.  Let us hear the former express, in differ-
  ent lauguage, exactly the same sentiment as that now
  under review.  " For to him that  overcometh  will I
  grant to set with me on my throne, even as I  also over-
  came and am set down with my father on his throne.
 And I will  make him a pillar in the temple of my God,
 and he shall go no more out; and I will  write  upon
 him the name of my God, and the name of the city of
 my God, which is the new Jerusalem,  which cometh
 down out of heaven  from my God, and I will write
 upon him my new name."

   After  the  comparative view which has been now
 taken of themotives to remain clothed with the earthly
 house of this tabernacle, and to be so clothed upon, that
 mortality may be swallowed up of  life ;  how unrea.
 sonable does it appear that the influence of the former
 upon the practice is so great, and of the latter so small.
 As a general matter, the solitude of mankind  is widely
 extended with respect to the life that now is, whereas
 for that which is to come,  it is more than equally limit-
 ed in  its operation.  But few . entertain that  realizing
 and operative sense of eternal things which they ought.
They  leave futurity out of sight, or at most  think of 
13
 its high concerns with so much indifference, that they
 defer  securing an  interest in them to be the work of
 some future day;—perhaps of a day which shall be pre-
 ceded by that of death. If not before, when death arrives
 we shall see the two worlds in the light of each other,
 without deception or partiality.   Nothing can be there-
 fore more desirable, than now to appreciate each of
 them according to its real importance.   This would be
 to use die world as not abusing it, and assist to prepare
 the way for a particular and unqualified application of
 what  the angel declared from heaven to St. John:
 "Blessed are they that  are  called unto the marriage
 supper of. the Lamb ; blessed are they that do his com-
 mandments ; blessed are the dead which  die in the
 Lord from henceforth ; yea, saith the Spirit, that they
 may rest from their labours, and their works do follow
 them."
   We may wish and pray not to be unclothed, but nei-
 ther shall our wishes nor prayers prevail.  The decree
 has gone forth from God and it shall not return to him
 void, " dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return."
 In the warfare of death  there is no discharge," for as
 dieth the fool so dieth the wise man."   Godliness may
 obviate the bitter effects of death, but it cannot  pre-
 vent its stroke.  Our recent return from the reposito-
 ries of the dead supersedes the need of all other proof
 in the  case.  We there committed to the dust the re-
 mains of one,  universally respected both for his amia-
bleness and goodness.   Unambitious to shine in the
higher walks of life, and not at all elated by the pride of
wealth; our departed  father and friend pursued  that
humble course and practised those  accommodating 
14
manners, that did not fail to conciliate an unusual share
of esteem  and love.   His  enemies, if he had them,
were  silenced into respect  by his virtues; and  his
friends were numerous and sincere.  It is not the cal-
culation of a fond partiality or the language of flattery,
that he was," an Israelite indeed."  It was during his
collegiate life, that, in the judgment of charity, he com-
menced that  race  of godliness, in which he stedfastly
persevered.  The  term allowed him in his  Master's
service was unusually long, nor did he  spend any part
of it  in  idleness.   Though he was in his eighty fifth
year,  he by no  means  outlived himself.  Neither de-
bility of body or  mind, prevented his bringing forth
much fruit, even at that very advanced period.  Du-
ring a number of his last years, visits, dictated by friend-
ship,  constituted one of his chief employments;  and  it
was noticeable, that of his visits,  the indigent  and
unfortunate commanded a large share.  We may pre-
sume the remark  of St. James was often in his mind,
and certainly it was written upon  his life ; " pure
religion and undefiled before God and the father is this,
to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction."
There  are none but what must feel the death of Dr.
 Lathrop.  Though he had lived many  years,  it was not
 long enough to  satisfy the  wishes either of his friends
 or of the unfortunate.   By his death, our church has
 experienced a great  loss; society is deeply  interested
 in the removal of so deserving a member ; his neigh-
 bours will find that  they have no small cause to weep
 over him ; and his consort and children, that their loss
 is  irreparable.  We can address arguments of comfort
 to them, but it  must be left to time and those consola-
 tions of God, which  are neither few nor small, to effect 
15
the entire healing of their wounds.   It surely becomes
them not to murmur.  Under the pressure of grief,
they will not forget  how mercy is intermixed  with
judgment.   They  will bear in mind the goodness of
God, in continuing the husband and father to them so
long.  They will reflect with much satisfaction, that
he led a respectable  and useful life, that he died like
a  Christian, and that charity pronounces he is now so
"  clothed upon, that mortality is swallowed up of life."
When in God's own good and appointed time, we shall
respectively be unclothed of this flesh, may we be thus
clothed upon and made blessed for ever.  Amen. 
 
S^Z3s
\%0l
c I 

W$*:-
■  ■■;."--.,.:,.3>-wv.l;.|.1.1;...                       r.tlCW!!^.:. s."W
          ■■■'■  S^:"
■.';■;'.;:.■;......'.-tcr.-ftHai v