Bates - HP BX5200 B3 1700

r J Dr. Thomas Manton's Funeral ~ermo;z, of R.Jnilc it fclf. How affiiCtive is the confideration of our di,,ided Church? Sweet Peace! whither art thou Aed? Blcfled Sa'liour! who didfl by thy precious Blood reconcile Heaven and Earth, fend down thy Spirit to infpire us with that VVifdom tbat js pure and pe:tccable, that thofe who agree in the fame Principles of Faith, in the f<1mc fllbltamial parts of Worfi1ip, in alferting the f.1me indi fpenfible neceffity of HoJinefs, may receive one another in Love. I am affectionately engaged in a Matter that fo nearly touches .11l thofe tlut va lue the Proteftrmt Intereft. Briefly; Cc: nfider him as ~ Cbriflirw, his Li~e was anfwerable to his DoCtrine. 'Tis applicable to fame Mmiflers, what is obferved of the Carbuncle ; by its colour, lu(rre, and fiery fparklings it feems to be actnally a Fire, but it has only the name and appearance of it. Thns fame in the Pnlpit feem to be all on fire with ZeJl, yet their Hearts arc as cold as a Stone, without Holy Affections, and their Lives are unworthy thei r Divine Miniftration. But this Servant of God was like a fruitful Tree, that produces in its Branches what .it contains in the Root; his inward Grace was made vilible in a Converfation becoming the Gofpel of Chrifl. M~~~. ;~,(~~~~: ~~~~';t: ~~;')::s~~~~;dtl~~~~1~u~1~~11 f~~v~~~~,;~~0r~~\~~hr~~ \;~~= fdf into Troubles, nor JPret!i CoufcimtiJ avoid them. His generous Conftancy of Mind in rdifl:ing the current of Popular Humour, declar'd his,Loyalty to his Divine Martcr. His Charity was eminent in procuring Supplies for others, when in mean Circumflances him(elf. But he had great experience of God's fatherly Provilion, to wl1ich his filial Cenfidence was correfpondent. His ConverC1tion in his Familily was holy and exemplary, every day inftrutl:ing them from the Scriptures in their Duty. I fball finifh my Character of him, with obferving his Humility. He was deeply affected with the fenfe of his Frailties and Unworthinefs. He confidered the infinite Puri ty of God, the Perfection of his Law the Rule of our Duty, and by that humbling Light difwver'd h is manifold defects. He exprefl his thoughts to me a little before his Death; If the HolJ Prophets were under jiro11g imprejfious of fiar, upon the :z~;ago~~~;;?ct el£::::/'M:{efl~~2 ~};;;,:, P:r1::1~is ::;ig~{'~~g::~f~~d~e~et~frin;~;~ on himfelf, as not retir'd from tlae commerce and corruption of the World, breaks forth, I'Vo i<$ me, for I am undone 1 kecmrfe 1 a~t a .Man of mzclean L1(! and I dweU in 1I: ';:df!.;{s infnif~~ 1er;{l,';~~~ .7;&~;r t'fo;;'(f};;,; ]":1/:e':t:~ ;i~f;o~!eJ;:r~t te~on of the Blood ofSprinkling, that JPeaks better things than the Blood ofAbel. This alone re\iev'd him, and fupported his Hopes. Though his Labours were abundant, yet he knew that the Work of God, palling through our Hands, is fo blemifb'd, that without an appeal to pardomng Mercy and Grace, we cannot fland in Judgment. Tl1is was the Subject of his lafl publick Sermon. , He languifb'd many Months, hut prefuming he fbould be too flrong for his In6r• mity, neglected it, till at lafl it became infuperable and mortal. Many pathetical 773 ~g~fnv~~~;'J ~;e;f~~~~,~~;, ~~~teea~~e~~h;n~0,~a;s Z1~~,~~~i~tt~i~~~~~r~~~i~~f~ ~~~11 r~d~,?:~~~~~f~~~n~~~~r: l;';~;j:j~;":,~~~ !t~~ ~~fe~or;r~f~h~ &:e11~e~~~~~ arc alienated from one another, as if they had been baptized with the Waters of Strife: That before our T ears were dried up for the lofs of other worthy Miniflers, the Fountain of Sorrow fbould be opened again by this affiicting ftroke. But it !;lecomes us to receive the Difpenfations of Heaven with humble and quiet fubmiffion; . to reAea upon our Sins with an holy Grief, that provoke God to remove Cuch an excellent I nflrumcnt of his Glory from us. Let m pray to the L;rd ofthe Harvejl, f:~·~"~~:r1~~~~~t~thz~~it~;/;~~;r:~di%;v~~t i~t~~~~ ~i~\~~n~~:~\(t~~~t~~ People would be wife, wh ile a price is put into their Hands, to improve it for their eternal Ath-antage. The neglected Gofpel will at lafl be a terrible Witnefs againft t he Difobedient, to juflify and aggravate their Condemnation, A

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