Dr. Thomas Jacomb's Funeral Sermon. Decree is accompli01ed according to the Law ofFaith, the unchangeable Order of the Go(pel; and that 1s, that Heaven {hall be the Reward of the faithful Servants of Chri!l: ; not for the true Delert of their Service, but the moll gracious and rich Bounty of God. ' The Angels of Glory cannot from a Plea of Juftice claim any Reward from God : For the Rights of J uftice (uppole fome Equa li ty between thofe who refpeCI:ively are obliged by t_hem, tho not in all regards, yet fo far as a certain common Rule makes them equal: But there is C.1ch an immenfe diftance between the Divine Majefty and the higheft Creatures, that there is no Foundation for luchaPlea between them. Be!ides, the Duty of Obedience is abfolute: For all our natural Powers and fupernatural Strength are his Gifts, and were there no Reward a!fured to us, are to be faithfully employed in his Service. Now the Payment of a Debt cannot deferve a Reward. Our belt Services are blemi!hed with many ImperfeCtions, and without the Mercy of the Gofpel that mollifies the ftriCI:nefs of the Law, would make us liable to Law, would make us liable to Punifhments; God JPare.r tu, m a Father JP.ares hh' Son. that ferves bim : Now Pardon and Merit are utterly inconfiftent. And what Proportion can there be between our mean ana !hort Services, and tbc etemal weight ofGlory? Even Martyrdom, which is the moll fi~nal ACt of Love and Obedience to our Redeemer, the higheft Advancing of Jus Glory, the moll nobl e Teftimony of his ::t~:!~s' u~1;~n a o~~f~£Tt(~en~~!uuii~e~ ~~h~~d r~~erer!:t~: ~7!,t~e~ 1~~z~ ~~~ laying down our Lives is by infinite degrees below the Glory of Heaven, that is the promifed Reward to it. This St. Paul teftifies from his deliberate Judgment, I recko11 ~;;'f.' !:!~:"1';:! ::.;. ';i[;:;: ;;;:,~:rin11~cri;~h!e 1;h~eR~;t;;J~s~;;;;!~;/:rUt; Mercy : The Apoftle prays for OnefiphorH<, whofe valiant Love in vifiting and [upplying him in the time of his Imprifonment, was fet off illuftriou(Jy by the Difcouragements and Iooonftancy of others who neglected l1im; The Lord grant to him that he m•y find M ercy of the Lord in that day. And we are exhorted to keep oHr felve; in !7:h~h ot;,:r~dls 1~~tfef:/i~~:f's;{vi£e0~f {h~dJ~:r~~'j!t"~~;tt;;,a~vffefy e~~~ bli!heJ'an Order and Confequence between them, as the moO: conducing for his Glory and our Good. For not only the fuperabundant Mercy, but the Righteoufnefs and Truth of God appear with an eminency of Glory in this way of making us !1appy. The Promife of theReward was from excellent Goodnefs, but the performing it to his faithful Servants is from his Juftice and Fidelity. He was unlimitedly free, but having pleafed with fuch condefcending Favour to make a Covenant with us, upon our fincere Compliance with the Terms of it, he is obliged for the Honour of his Truth and Righteoufnefs to accompli!h it : though in ftriCI:nefs he can owe nothing to us, yet he is a Debtor to his Promife. From hence the Apoftle faith, I have fought the 11,00d Fight, I have finifl/d my Courfe ; from hwccforth there #laid 11p for me a Crown ofRighteoufnifs, which God the righteoll! judge j/J<U give unto me. The Honour of l1is Truth is facred and inviolable: Thus he is proclaimed in a !tile expreffing how glorious his Truth is, and how dear to him, The Lord thy God, he #God; and the only Attribute that is annext is, the Faithfitl God, keeping Cove~rant and MRrcy. At ~:e~rr~r~sa~~'~;;~e~~ ~~;i:s0~h~0~~d1~N~~tf;,e~a~; ~~:gf~\~f~J ~0~1~; ~;c:!~l~ great and precious Promifes made to his Servants. And the Connexion between our Duty and the Reward, has a powerful influence to excite our fincere and earneft Endeavours to pleafe God : Tis the ftrongeft Engagement to Univerfal SanCtity and Obedience. For the Gofpel is an everlafting Covenant, and Condition of it is unalterable : Heaven is not promifed as an abfolute i rrefpeCI:ive Gift, but as a Reward Confequent of Services. There can be na ~~~; ~~f~~~:v~ofte: O.:t~~~~o~C1f~:~t~~ ~~~~:~~~fet~a:l~e~~~~~:~~~ ~:o~~~: Duty. The Crown of Life is promifed to thofe that Love God; and Love# the fidfiUing of the Law: If any one afpires to that Dignity, he mull from Love, which is the internal CharaCter and Difpofition of a Saint, obey and fcrve God. To prefume of obtaining our laft and ble!fed End, without a diligent ufe of the means prefcribed in the Gofpel, is fuch idle prepofterous Folly that Men would be a!hamed of with refpell: to the gaininp; of temporal things. Can he that fows no Seed, expeCt a Har-. veft? or that plants no Vineyard, expeCt a Vmtage? Can a Merchant hope for nch Returns from a foreign Countrey, "'ithout trading thither? And 'tis as vain to hope for
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