AN
ELEGY
ON THE
MUCH LAMENTED DEATH,
OF THE
Rev. Mr. THOMAS MONTEITH:
Late Miniſter of the Gospel in Dunse,
who departed this life the 22d of May,
1787.—-With a Poem on his laſt Sermon.
Matth. xxii. 42.
What think ye of Chriſt?
By DAVID LOVE.
Printed for, and Sold by the Author.
AN
ELEGY
ON THE
Rev. THOMAS MONTEITH.
Rev. xiv. 13. 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.
Of that good man Thomas Monteith:
Great loſs it is unto his flock,
Yet they muſt yield unto the ſtrock.
He's been their Paſtor fifteen years,
But now left them to mourn in tears:
Death ſuddenly ſnatch'd him away,
And left him lifeleſs as the clay.
Amongſt his flock there hangs a gloom,
Till they get one to fill his room:
Let all their pray'rs to God aſcend,
That he may a good Paſtor ſend.
The loſs is great which they ſuſtain,
Yet it's to him the greateſt gain:
But ſince it is the will of God,
Submit they muſt unto his rod.
Two pretty girls he's left behind,
In grief; and doth ſmall comfort find;
Their father's gone, and motherleſs,
So that they are in great diſtreſs.
To ſuch there is a promiſe ſure,
Left on record, and will procure;
Great comfort in the afflictive rod,
I'll be your father and your God.
His doctrine was both pure and found
And did with goſpel truths abound:
The word he rightly did divide,
And by it ſtill he did abide.
He preached Jeſus Chriſt the Lord,
As it is in his holy word:
Yea, Jeſus and him crucify'd,
Were moſt the ſubjects which he ey'd
The texts moſt ſuitable he choſe,
And did diſtinguiſh friends from foes,
Yea, he ſet forth in every caſe;
The counter ſits, from babes of grace.
Sometimes he thundred Moſes law,
To make proud rebels ſtand in awe;
And then he ſhow'd the goſpel grace,
That ſhineth bright in Jeſus face.
He open'd that quick and powerful word,
Sharper than any two edg'd ſword;
'Tween joints and marrow doth divide,
From which no ſecret we can hide.
By many arguments moſt fit,
He always ſtrove the mark to hit;
The bow he ſtill drew at a venture,
That piercing arrows in might enter.
His Maſter's work lay near his heart,
He ſpoke the truth in every part,
Nor did he fear the face of man,
Speaking to conſcience was his plan.
An able Miniſter we ſay,
Of the New Teſt'ment in his day;
He ſhunned not for to declare,
The Lord's whole counſel every where.
A noble champion for the cauſe,
Of Chriſt, and his moſt holy laws,
Earneſt contending for the faith,
Deliver'd to the ſaints, till death.
He proved Chriſt's divinity,
To be the ſame with God's moſt high,
Againſt the Arians did exclaim:
For their abuſe of Jeſus name.
On all the ſeaſons he did treat,
On drought, and rains, on cold, and heat;
A ſtrick obſerver of the times,
A ſharp rebuker of bad crimes.
His Maſter's preſence oft he had,
Which made his countenance right glad;
He ſpoke with ſuch an air and grace,
That it appeared in his face.
Much did he ſpeak of God's great love,
Which from the Scriptures he did prove;
And alſo of the loving Lamb,
Who to ſave ſinners freely came.
He made appeal unto his God,
That he was clear of a l their blood;
And to them he did teſtify,
Their blood upon their heads would lie.
Agreeable alſo was his walk,
Sweet converſation in his talk;
Miniſterial like in all his ways,
Few him excelled in our days.
He did not rail, but mildly ſpoke,
or he had on his Saviour's yoke
Was of a meek and lowly mind,
He charitable was and kind.
His character could not be blam'd,
Of his Lord's croſs, was not aſham'd
or he did glory in that croſs,
All things beſides he counted loſs.
Like holy Paul, finiſh'd his days
To God, and to his Saviour's praiſe.
Fought the good fight, and kept the faith,
Until he did reſign his breath.
Henceforth a crown of righteouſneſs
He has receiv'd, through ſovereign grace,
Which God the righteous judge doth give,
To him, and all that godly live.
Thus did he live, thus did he die,
A life of faith and ſanctity;)
His actions prov'd this to be true,
That God had formed him anew.
Then being made anew in Chriſt,
Thrice happy now he is and bleſt;
God and the Lamb he doth adore;
This is his work for evermore;
Through all eternity his theme,
Shall be to praiſe his Saviour's name:
Yea, praiſing with the heav'nly hoſt,
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt.
An exhortation to all in general, and his flock in particular, to imitate his example, and to follow his ſteps, from 1 Cor. xi. I. "Be ye followers of me, even as I alſo am of Chriſt."
Follow his ſteps dejected flock,
As he did follow Chriſt his rock;
From God, nor duty, never ceaſe,
And always live in love and peace.
Be followers of him in faith,
Keep always in that holy path;
God is will pleas'd when you're therein,
For what is not of faith is ſin.
Be followers of him in hope,
You'll not fall leaning on this prop
It is an anchor firm and ſure,
When heavy it will you allure.
Be followers of him in love,
This goes with faints to hear'n above,
When faith and hope will ended be,
Love laſts through all eternity.
Follow his ſteps moſt chearfully,
In meekneſs, and humility;
For humble fouls God high will raiſe,
But proud and lofty doth abaſe.
In good works follow him alſo,
And mercy to the needy ſhow;
This God requires of Adam's race,
Juſtice to do in every place.
Him follow perſeveringly,
Strive, run, and fight, wreſtle, and cry:
Watch, and be ſtrong, from evil flee,
Then at the end you ſav'd ſhall be.
A poem on his laſt ſermon, which was preached a few weeks before he died, from Matth. xxii. 42. “What think ye of Chriſt?"
Beloved, what think ye of Chriſt?
Who giveth to the weary reſt:
What think ye of his lowly birth?
When he came down from heav'n to earth:
What think ye of his incarnation?
And what he did for our ſalvation,
This is the goſpel-proclamation.
What think ye of his holy life?
Free from contention, wrath, and ſtrife;
Without a wrinkle, ſpot, or ſtain,
And yet a life of grief and pain.
What think ye of the broken law?
Which he fulfill'd in every flaw:
It magnify'd, paid juſtice due,
And made it honourable too.
What think ye of his righteouſneſs?
To cover you from filthineſs:
Although polluted you have been,
'Tis he alone that makes you clean.
What think ye of this great I AM?
For to become a ſuff'ring L mb:
And all this for his enemies,
He groans, and ſweets, and bleeds, and dies.
What think ye of this ſacrifice?
That did aſcend above the ſkies:
'Twas a ſweet ſavour unto God,
When he the red-wine-preſs had trode.
What think ye of his interceſſion?
He makes to God, for our tranſgreſſion!
It pow'rful is and meritorious,
When that the perſon is ſo glorious
What think ye of him as a Prophet?
There's many think but little of it:
Yet, ſuffer him to teach you by
His Spirit, which can never lie.
What think ye of him as a King ?
He will to you ſalvation bring:
And rule and reign within your heart,
Then from you he will never part.
What think ye of him as a Judge?
O may he then be our refuge:
Happy and bleſt we then ſhall be,
Through ages of eternity.
FINIS.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse