Dr. Thomas Jacomb's Funeral Sermon. The Work of a Minifter is not like t he Work of an Artificer : A Statua ry with long Labour cuts the Marbl e to form it into a noble Image, but he leaves his Work at his Pleafure ; and when he refumes it, the Matter being durabl e, 'tis in ~he fame ltate towards finifhi ng as when he left it. But the Heart of Man is of a ftrange Nature, hard as Marble, and fluid as Water; Heavenly Impreffions are with difficu lty made in it, and ea fil y defac'd. When by many Prayers and T ears, many tender Add reffes of Minifters, the Heart is foftened, and the Image of Chrift, the Lineaments of his Divine Graces and Virtues are firl1: drawn in it, with~ut a continual Eye and Attendance upon the Work, how foon are thofe bleffed Beginnings fpoiled, and the carnal Lults regain tbe Heart ? How hard is it to prevail with Men to enter in to the narrow Way. and to preferve them from defiling Lapfes in it, or woful Excurfions into the pleafant ways of Sin, and to bring them fafdy to Heaven ? The folemn Adj urati on of the AJ?oltle to Timot hy fhould excite Minilters with the molt watchful Care and ufeful Dthgence to attend thett Work: I charge thee before the L.rd, T;m·4-' ·' · ·] ejiH Chrif/, who JhaU j11dge the 1]11fck a11d the dead at hi< appeari11g and hi< Kingdom :. Preach the Word, be injiant, ill .fCaJou, 011t offoafon; reprove, rebuke, exhort with 11.8 1c:'1f~;;;; b;~~;t;;;d· by"";l;~te~fci~:~ ~~P~~lfl~~st;1eH~~~~!~n~~e1;~~e~ib~~~i! the malt High and Everlafting Judge ? What \V ill be a fuffident Defence before his inlightned Tribunal? What Apologies will skrcen them from his fiery Difpleafuie? Will their Ignorance, or Abundance, or Slothfulnefs excufe the negletl: of their Duty? They may deceive themfelves with vain Allegations to palliate their Negligence, but God will not be mocked. If in the lalt J udgment thofe who negletl:ed to feed the Poor with material Bread to fupport their Bodies, !hall be placed with tbe Reprobates at the Left Hand of Chrift, how can thofe whofe Office it is to difpenfe the Bread of Life to Souls, and negleCl: to feed them, efcape Condemnat ion? The ufeful Diligence I have been urging upon Minil1:ers, is not only neceffary in publick folemn preaching the Word, but in feafonable applyinp; it to particular Per~ fons within their Compafs and Care. Of thts we have an excellent Pattern in St. ~;;: :~~01~;~~~;h}!!cc~a~~ ~,: !~sJf}l!~~:l ~~~~r~.~ ~ :~:;;;t c:z, M:~~n~;~e~e~~ ;~~1.!i~~ 'of ~r~i~~~~ro~~~~~n'd"~~n;~~~~~~u~n~~g~~c~e~o~ r!;lo~8ff~~;~~~st~o~ Perfon in private, more ~owerfully affetl:s the Confctence, and moves the Affetl:ions, than a long and wellltudted Sermo~. . 4 . The Servants of Chnlt muft with Refolutton and Conftancy defpife the AllurementsandtheTerrors oftheWorld in performina the Duties of their Office. The Apefile declares h1S fixed Mmcl, I count 110t /Jlj Life dear to me, fo that I 11UZJ ji1rijh nty Com:ft Aas 10. '- 4• with Joy, and theMiniflrywhich ihave received oftheurd JcjiJS: Thoamongftthe pikes of a thoufand Dangers he was never faint-hearted, much lefs falfe-hearted,in the Caufe ofChrilt.The two principle parts ofthe Minilter's Dutyare to preferve the Truths of the Gofpel inviolate, and to open and enforce the Commands of it in their fpiritual Purity and Extent: They are !tiled the Lights of the World, and the Salt of the Earth•. All the Truths of the Gofpel are of precious val ue, but not of equa l clearnefs and moment : And Chrillian Charity lhould moderate between Diffenters in fmall er Matters, who agree in the main Points ofReligion. But thofe Truths of the Gofpel that are primary and radica l, and thofe that by neceffary Confeguence are deduc'd from them, requ ire our mofl vigilant Care and Zeal to preferve them ent ire and untaintcd. 'Tis a univerfal Duty refpetl:ing Chriftians, to fearch out the Truth as 'ti< in J ejJH, to underltand the Reafons of t he Religion t~ey profefs, and to contend earneflly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints. But the Minilters ofChrift who by virtue of their Office are Depofitaries of the Truth, are chiefly obliged to affert and defend it: Efpecially when there are many Snares fpread abroad to entangle ignorant and unftable Souls with dangerous Errors. Our Saviour has fet us a Pattern of our Duty, who declared, For thk end was [born, and came into the World to bear witnefs tot he T ruth. Thoy are falfe to the facred Truft repofed in them, when, by Silence the T ruth is in dan!(c• of being oppreft. Tis their Duty and Glory to be valiant for theT ru th, when falfe Dotl:rmes boldly oppofe it, andpoyfon'd Arrows are fi10t into t he Eyes o f Men' by erroneous T eachers. Tis faid of Joh" the Baptift, He"'"' not ll·e L ight, but tJS l!ext i11 Di.gnity , he came to bear witnefs ofthe Ligbt. But if theywithdraw their 'refti mony when th e Truth challenges it, they will be covered with Conf~tfto n at the lafr Day ; 3ccording to that fearful Thrcatning, JtVhofocvcr deuia me be:.. {iJrc A-fen, himwill I deny hrforc '''J Father wbich is ilt Heavem The igrtorance ofSavin~.:. I ii ii Truths 0
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