_ ____Dr. _T~m~1s Jacomb"s Funeral Sermon. Thus the Love ofChriCt had fuch an abfolutc Empire in his Heart, that his whole Life was fpent as a vowed Oblation tg his Service and Glory. And whoever does not live a fpintual Life, as the Sen·ant of ChriCt, never yet felt the Mifery of this Bondage of Sin, nor the fweetnefs of that Liberty which the Son of God has purchafed for his Peopl e. Laflly; We are the Servants of ChriCt by folemn Covenant, and the moCt facred Ingagement. In the Covenant of Grace God and Man are the Parties: And fuch was his condefcending Love, that he came down from Heaven and aJfumed o~1r Nature, on pt\rpofe to fea l hi s part in his own Blood, the Promi[e of his pardoninrr Mercy, of his fanftifying Spirit, and his rewarding Goodncfs, to all that with un~ feigned Conlent and firm Rc[olution will fea l the Counterpart of their Duty and Obedience to him. We are entred into his Family and the Relation of his Servants in Baptifm; and vowed univerfal Obedience to our new Ma([cr, in defiance of ail Temptations whether invirin::~ or terrifying in the World: For this reafon Baptifm is called t he A,ifwer ofagoodCo,fcience towttrd.r God. VVe wear his Colours, arc di- 1P(r.3.12. ll:inguilhed from the Heathens by the Title of Cl>rijliam: We ratify in a moll: fo- .l emn manner our Covenant by the Seal of the- Lord's Supper, wherein we facramentally eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour. Now from hence arifes a new Obligation to ferve Chr iCt: He had a Soveraign Right in us antecedently to our dedicating our [elves to his Service, but from om voluntary .Confent accrues another Title, whereby he claims our perpetua l Service. The Law of God binds us without our Con[ent, but our Con[ent increafes the Obligation; and if we are carelefs of our D uty, and defert his Service, we break double Bonds, and are guilty not only of Difobedience to the Law, but of perfidious Violation of our Covenant, 'Tis obfervabl e in the Parable of the Talents, they were committed to Servants, from ~~~~~~ ~r~R~.ble A O~~w~~~~~ re~1f'(;~~d~ 11:~~~~st~~:.~~r~~~d~~::c,;l~~e~:tho~~dtl:~ make faithfu l returns upon the account of commutative Jufrice that reaches all: but a Servant is under a fpecia l Obl igation, and if he wall:s or negleCts the improving his Mall:cr's Goods, he does not only break this Tru/1: repofed in him, but violates the Duty of a Servant, that obliges him to manage them according to his Mall:er's Will and for his Profit. The Account will be particular and exaCt for all our Talents at the !all: : None fo high that !hall be excu[ed, none fo mean that !hall efcape that Il:rift Inquiry : For he that knows all things, !hall be our Judge. The Servant that l~~:~e~~~ 1::e~~e:e~~led1;h~t l~e j~:JY~~!,o~it~a~~i~ncfeff~:n~~~~~0bcnf!A~~~~!~ ing I1is Mafier's Sevedty; but his vain excnfe was retorted upon him, to aggravate l1is Sin and Sentence : C4Jl the ullprofitable Servmtt i11to outer D ark11e[s ; there jhaU he weeping and g11ajhing of Teeth: A Judgment as righteous as terribl e : For the Guilt of l>is Rebellion, in not ufi ng his T alent according to hisMall:er'sOrder; andUnthankfulnefs, in defpifing his Gifts, and an unrighteous depriving of others of that Bene. fit, that was by the MaCter's Will due to them. 3· We are to confider the final Reward of ChriCt 's Servants under two Heads. 1. The Order of the Reward. 2. The Excellency of it. I. The Order, in giving it after the Service of ·C!Jri/1: faithfully and conll:antly performed. 'Tis the reveal ed Will of God, that all Men jho11ld hono11r the Son a< they hrmour the Father: The Son is the Heir of his Love and Glory, and in ferving him the Father is honoured and obeyed. And as our Saviour reigns eternally in Heav.en, after the finifl1ing his Work injoyn'd him by the Father, [o accord ing to his Example, we receive the Crown of Life after the courfe of our Obedience. This is the Tenor of the Promife; To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my Throne; Rev.;. u: evm M I alfo overcame and am fat down with my Father iJt hi! Throm. The Order in difpcnfing the ble!fed Reward, does not in the lea fr ecl ipfe the Honour of God's Grace, or afford the lea/1: f11adow of pre[uming upon any Merit in our beCt Services. The Wa zer ofSill u Death, 'tis the ju/1: De[ert of it; but the Gift ofGod u etemal Lift in ]efits Chrifi our Lord. The eternal EleCtion of Perfons to Life, the prepanngofthem by fanftifying Grace for Glory, and the aCtual po!feffion of it, is from the moCt free Favour of God. EleCtion JS the firfl Fount ai11 of Water fpringi11g up lo etemal Lift: For what could induce God when all Mankind was equa lly involved in Guilt and Mifcry, to choofe fome to be Veffels of Grace and Glory, but Ius fovcratgn Pleafure and pure Grace? The Ele/l: were in the Eye and Heart of God from Eternity, a ppointed to fupcrnatura l Happinels, but that free and inluperable Decree
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