Excerpt from The Beautiful Upon the Mountains, or the Acceptableness and Work of the Faithful Gospel Ministers: A Sermon If to the weary and heavy laden, the faithful gospel minister be a welcome messenger, no less ao ceptable to the sick and dying. Sickness will ever take us all; death will one day arrest our every pursuit in this busy world. It is often a sad and melancholy thing to note the effects of sickness, especially upon the young. What a change from days of health and strength! Where now is that healthy check that rivalled the rose? Where that sparkling eye that beamed out light and joy? Where that elastic step that equalled in fleetness the roe? And where that happy, happy ringing laugh that made the welkin echo back again! Ah sad, weary, melancholy sickness has transformed them all. The check is blanched and pale the eye is dim and watery; the step is slow and feeble; and the joyous laugh is exchanged for sighs and groans. 0 what a stern revolutionist is sickness! Friends visit the sick, and it is right they should do so. They are all welcome, and their counsels and conse lations and prayers are all well received. Thousandshave been comforted by such visits. But tell me, is there, in that sad hour, one whose visit is more wel come, or more kindly appreciated, than that of the man of God? Ah! Many, many even among the ungodly, Lhave been heard to say in that gloomy hour, what they would not have cared to say in the sunny day of health How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings! And should this sickness be unto death; -should the feeble body become feebler and feebler, and the wasting form waste more and more rapidly, till the exhausted spirit at last takes its flight to eternity - who more welcome to pray over the re mains of the departed dear one, than the faithful gospel minister -who more acceptable to comfort and console, and cheer the bereaved relatives who better qualified to admonish with these words But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others who have no hope; for if we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so them. Also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. To the decidedly pious and godly, the faithful gos pel minister is always welcome. He edifice and builds them up in their most holy faith he refreshes them with gospel truth; reminds them of gospel duties, warns them against temptation, and teaches them to fight the battles of the Lord. And when darkness - spiritual darkness - comes down brooding on their hearts - when the dreary wail is heard sent out from all that is within them Oh that I were as in. Months past, as in the days when God preserved me when his candle shined upon my head, and when 'iy his light I walked through darkness 1 Who sofitted and who so welcome and acceptable as the faith ful gospel minister, with the blessing of God, to dis pel this darkness - to re-invigorate their faith - to restore their confidence in Jehovah - and once more to make them joyful in the sensible presence of the God of their salvation? But on this tepic we do not at present dwell longer. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.