BEMOANING the loſs of friends and benefactors—the loſs of the deliverers and protectors of our nation and land, is both decent in itſelf, and warranted by ſcripture example.

IT has ever been the practice, time immemorial, whenever a prince, princeſs, or perſons, who had been friends and benefactors to the nation, or ſociety to which they belonged, were removed by death, for the ſurvivors to conſecrate ſome time to lament, and to put on tokens of mourning. This practice we find obſerved, not only by the heathen world, but alſo by the moſt pious, and godly. For when Sarah was dead, whoſe name ſignifies a princeſs, or a high mother, Abraham came to Hebron to mourn for her. When Jacob yielded up the ghoſt, the Egyptians had ſuch a ſenſe of their loſs, (and well they might, for Jacob was the father of him, who had been their ſalvation under God in the time of famine, and an interceſſor with God for them) they, I ſay, made a mourning for him threeſcore and ten days. Joſeph made a mourning for his father ſeven days. When Aaron was dead, they mourned for him thirty days, even all the houſe of Iſrael. They wept for Moſes in the plains of Moab thirty days. Though they were on a journey, and a toilſome one too, and had not arrived to their ſettled habitation; yet, they thought no time loſt to pay ſome reſpect to thoſe worthies. When David received the tidings of Jonathan's death, who was a valiant and friendly man, he ſays, I am diſtreſſed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleaſant haſt thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, paſſing the love of women. When Joſiah, king of Judah, was ſlain, the good prophet Jeremiah lamented him; and all the ſinging men and ſinging women ſpake of Joſiah in their lamentations; they felt the ſtroke; they were ſenſible of their great loſs. When our bleſſed Lord came to the grave of Lazarus, he wept; a good man had fallen; the little flock of Chriſt, then in the world, was deprived 〈◊〉 one of its precious members. He, who needed no 〈◊〉 praiſes of angels, or of men, to add any thing to him, ſhed tears. Devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

IF pious and good men, heathen and ſaint, have lamented the loſs of their friends and benefactors; and even the Lord from heaven! Shall we be wanting? Shall we be backward? Shall we refuſe to follow the example of the Lord of heaven and earth, the example of the pious and godly in all ages? Shall we demean ourſelv •• below heathens and pagans? Yea, more brutiſh than the beaſts which periſh? Be aſtoniſhed, O ye heavens! at this, and horribly afraid, O earth! God forbid. Surely, reaſon we have to lament, this day, the loſs of him, who, under God, wrought our deliverance, and eſtabliſhed our peace, in the happy enjoyment of our rights.

IN purſuing our diſcourſe, we ſhall notice two things.

I. The loſs we ſuſtain.

IT is not my deſign, nor is it in my power, to give you a particular biographical hiſtory of the man, the loſs of whom, we are requeſted to deplore this day. A number of able men have handed to us ſome things reſpecting his excellent abilities and character; no doubt, but we ſhall have a more full and complete hiſtory of the man. But from what hath been ſaid, and from the experience of many of us, we muſt be convinced, that a great and good man hath fallen. No two characters did ever more coincide, than Moſes' and WASHINGTON's. To draw their coincidences in character and fortune, a worthy divine of late hath done it, and now in print; therefore, it is needleſs for me, in particular, to delineate, or to ſay all that might be ſaid of the man. Yet, however, in order to know in ſome meaſure our loſs, it is neceſſary that we have ſome acquaintance with his excellent abilities and qualifications.

PERHAPS very few, if any, ever exceeded him in every point. He was favored with as great abilities, and with as good qualifications, as any that have been in the world; the meekneſs of Moſes, the uprightneſs and patience of Job, the wiſdom of Solomon, and the reſolution of Nehemiah; all theſe centered in WASHINGTON. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. He was patient under fatigue and want, and made but few complaints. He was politic in his plans, and wiſe in the execution of them. He was reſolute in oppoſing the Jannes and Jambres, the Sanballats, the Tobiahs, and Geſhems of America, both foreign and domeſtic. He ever had the character of faithful and true; an eminent General, a man of war from his youth; yet; not delighting in human blood; but in juſtice and in defending the rights of mankind; a father to his country, and the deliverer of it from the paw of the lion and the bear, when as weak as the dove, and as feeble as the lamb; an able and wiſe ſtateſman; the giver of the American Conſtitution; the eſtabliſher of his country's peace, in the full enjoyment of its rights; a friend to literature, virtue, peace and good order; a profeſſor of the goſpel of Chriſt, with a great ſenſe of divine providence, which all his writings abundantly teſtify. He was one, who feared God, and eſchewed evil; given to hoſpitality; a lover of all men; never elated in proſperity, nor depreſſed in adverſity; ever ready to fly to his country's relief, and that in the moſt diſcouraging hour; ever ſteadfaſt, and immovable as a rock.

HIS character may be viewed as immaculate. No one, whether at home or abroad, was ever able to tarniſh it. All their calumnies had no more effect, than the magician's rods had with Moſes'. The brightneſs of WASHINGTON was ſuch, they could not look ſteadfaſtly upon him. His face was like the face of an angels. His brightneſs would diſpel all the darkneſs brought for his diſadvantage, and cauſe it to flee away. The gates of hell never could prevail againſt him; but were forced to acknowledge, like the magicians of old, the finger of God is in this; let the people go.

HIS abilities as a General and as a ſtateſman have been acknowledged, both by friends and foes, citizens and foreigners. I would take notice of an inſtance or two: The late King of Pruſſia ſent him a medal, with this inſcription; "From the oldeſt General in Europe, to the greateſt General in the world." The Honorable CHARLES J. FOX, one of the ableſt ſtateſmen in Europe, in the Britiſh Houſe of Commons, ('94) delivered the following encomium upon General WASHINGTON: "Illuſtrious man! deriving honor leſs from the ſplendor of his ſituation, than from the dignity of his mind; before whom all borrowed greatneſs ſinks into inſignificance. I cannot indeed," added Mr. Fox, "help admiring the wiſdom and the fortune of this great man:—not that by the phraſe fortune, I mean to derogate from his merit; but notwithſtanding his extraordinary talents and exalted integrity, it muſt be conſidered as ſingularly fortunate, that he ſhould have experienced a lot, which ſo ſeldom falls to the portion of humanity; and have paſſed through ſuch a variety of ſcenes, without ſtain and without reproach. It muſt indeed create aſtoniſhment, that, placed in circumſtances ſo critical, and filling for a ſeries of time a ſtation ſo conſpicuous, his character ſhould never once have been called in queſtion:—that he ſhould in no one inſtance have been accuſed either of improper inſolence, or of mean ſubmiſſion in his tranſactions with foreign nations. It has been reſerved for him to run the race of glory, without experiencing the ſmalleſt interruption to the brilliancy of his career. The breath of cenſure has not dared to impeach the purity of his conduct; nor the eye of envy to raiſe us malignant glance to the elevation of his virtues. Such has been the tranſcendant merit and the unparalleled fate of this illuſtrious man." Thus he.

THIS we all muſt atteſt to, who have had a knowledge of the day of WASHINGTON. His enemies never were ſuffered, nor able to crown him with a crown of thorns, nor to array him in a purple robe, with a mock ſceptre in his hand: No; but, by the grace of God, a diadem of glory, a robe of virtue, and a ſceptre of juſtice and humanity, ever attended him. Surely, to be deprived of ſuch a patriot, father and friend, muſt be a loſs great indeed, and ought to excite in each of our breaſts great ſorrow and mourning. Which brings me

II. Such a loſs calls for great lamentation.

HERE I ſhall give you the reaſons, why we ſhould lament, when great and good men are removed from us by death.

WHEN great and good men are taken away from us, ſo much of the holy nature of God, as reſided in them when with us, is now taken from the world. Thoſe precious abilities, thoſe excellent qualifications, gifts and graces, which they were wont to exerciſe for the promotion of the honor and glory of God, the peace and proſperity of the nation, with their prayers, have ceaſed. The nation, where they inhabited, had the profit of their abilities, gifts and graces; but now, no more! except only what is kept in remembrance, or upon record, of their holy and inſtructive words and examples.

THE loſs of great and good men in a nation; men, who have been patriots, deliverers and protectors of their nation and country, demands great lamentation. They mourned for Aaron the high prieſt thirty days, even all the houſe of Iſrael. They wept for Moſes in the plains of Moab thirty days. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. And why are ſuch to be lamented? Becauſe, thereby, a gap is made to let in the judgments of God upon the remnant that remains. It is ſaid of Moſes; Therefore he, i. e. God, ſaid, that he would deſtroy them, had not Moſes, his choſen, ſtood before him in the breach, leſt he ſhould deſtroy them. Lot was another ſuch; he ſhielded wicked Sodom from the judgments of God; for God ſays to him, I cannot do any thing till thou art departed. When the Lord removes ſuch excellent men, he thereby lays open a way to his vengeance. Hence, the death of great and good men is ominous of heavy judgments at hand. Says the prophet, The righteous periſheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none conſidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. Yet, let us hope better things of our nation. However, this is a very great and potent argument for our lamentation, this day, for the loſs of him, who was our father and friend.

WHEN the fathers and defenders of a nation are removed by death, the beauty of that nation is fallen; the nation looks not like itſelf Wicked men are the blemiſhes of a people; but good men, upright men, men of ability and integrity, are the beauty and glory of a nation. How deſolate and melancholy doth a family appear, when the kind huſband, father and governor is removed. How much more ſo, a commonwealth, when a redeemer, father, protector and citizen is taken away. Take away good men from their coun •• y and nation, and what are they; but, like a vineyard, whoſe hedge is removed, and ſtone-wall broken down?

THE death of the fathers and defenders of our nation demands bitter lamentation; becauſe, their virtuous walk, pious and wholeſome words, and examples are no more; and thus a way, for fraud and deceit, ſin and iniquity, and every evil work, to ſpring forth.

THE time, in which great and good men die, aggravates the loſs. The day, in which we live, is a day of dreadful war and trouble in Europe; and all means have been proſecuted to involve us in the ſame; and we may feel the ſtorm before it be overblown. Thus, to have our General and defender taken from us, at ſuch a criſis, greatly augments the ſorrow of thoſe, who remain; and, that upon the following accounts: Great and good men are often taken away, when virtue and religion, when the ſpirit and power of godlineſs, are upon the decline; when the love of many has become cold. Ofttimes they are removed, when virtuous and religious men are very few; when men of integrity and uprightneſs are hardly to be found; when men are full of intrigue and deceit, watching every opportunity to entrap. But, we hope and truſt, that there are ſome crying with the Pſalmiſt, Help Lord, for the godly man ceaſeth; for the righteous fail from among the children of men.

BUT that, which moſt aggravates the loſs, is this; when it comes in a time, wherein the ſucceſſion is in any meaſure hindered. In this caſe, the death of our political fathers and defenders, is very painful.

LASTLY. The removal of great and good men is a juſt ground for lamentation. For, when we conſider what influence our ſins and iniquities have had upon the judgments of God, our unworthineſs of great and good men, our unthankfulneſs for them, and non-improvement of the ſame, have provoked the Lord to remove them. Thus we ſee upon what reaſons our ſorrows are a debt due to the death of great and good men.