Dr. Thomas Jacomb's Funeral Sermon. for the eternal Reward, without following Holinefs. The Prefumption is heightened and more fatal, when any !hall think, if they arc predeltinated to Glory, they fhall obtain it without their befl: Diligence in making their CaUing tmd ElefJionJitrc. This is to make a diametrical OppoGtion between the Decrees of God, and the Re" cord of his Will in the GofpeL Election is a Chain that reaches from Heaven to Earth, to draw Men from Earth to Heaven : It has intermediate Links that mult not be left out. .Between Election and Glorification the Faith and Obedience of the Gofpel intervenes: The Apoftle informs .us, that we are chofen to Salvd.tion, thro11,gh the San/Jijication of the Spirit and the Belief of the Tmth. The Decrees of God are a Cecret we cannot dive into. We can difcover what is fecret only by what is revealed; our Eleaion by our effectual Ca!ling, which is the infallible and Cenlible Effect of it. ~0r~~~' dp~~n~cf~~~r~~pb~n~;~ ;esc~:tn~e~[;ben~~~~?,~';f }~o~~rj,~'~;;l;e~;/LI;s:ti";; ever ruch a Thought is Cuggelted, That if I am elected, I !hall be happy though carelefs of my Duty, chain it up, there is Folly and Frenzy in it. Heaven is beltowed as a Gift of his infinite Grace and Power, ~ut according to the wife and immu~ table Order Cet down in the Gofpel; which is Co far from lelfening and obfcuring the Glory of his Mercy, that it makes it more confpicuous: For Holiners, to which we are ro ltriaiy obliged as preparatory for Heaven, is our moO: Divine Pcrfectioo; and qualifies us for the Enjoyment of God. 2. The Excellence of the Reward is to be confidered : He that ferves "' '• him will my Father honour. Such is the Wifdom and Equity of God in his moral Government, that be has by a graceful Order annexed Honour as the Reward to Virtue. The general Rule is, Thtfe that honour me, I will honour ; and thtfe that deJPife me, ft;all be lightly f!fe"a~n;~;r~~sn~u~~l:r~:~~icakre8~~~1;g\~uW~1id':S~~!r~~~1~~n~~r~e~t~~~;'th~~ Luft:s. The Heathehs were convinc'd that Honour is rrre extrinfick Tribute always due to Virtue; and fome were fo fl:rifr and had fuch Divine Thoughts as to maintain that Virtue is the only true Nobility. Tis foretold in Scripture, The righteotff /hall be i" everlafling remembrallce : They leave ~n honourable Evidence of their Graces and Virtues in their Works, and a.re of prcciops memory, whm the J:t.tame oftbe Wicked foal! rot. But the Reward our Saviour promifes, is the Honour that cotJJCf ftom God only: And as his Majefl:y infinitely tranfcends all Earthly Principalities; Co in proportion, the Honour that be confers upon his Servants is above all the Titles of Honour, all the fwelling Praifes of Men. This Reward is given in the next World. Here the Servants of Cbrifl: are Cometimes darkened lvi!h many Affiill:ions, and buried in Cad Obfcurity before they are dead ; They are the Objects of Scorn and Contempt: St. Patd who was an incarnate Serttphim, whofe Zeal in the Service of his Divine Mafl:er exceeded all the Apofl:les, yet was, as he declares, vilified as the off-Ccourine; of the World. Now Cucb is the excellent Goodners of God, that he will certainly 1n the next Life reward with the highefl: Honour all who have advanced his Honour. Cl~u~e;~~r~~~~~~l?~%~r?tg~11 ~/ftt~~~~~t~~~~~~c,"~~~s ~tl;~~e~ti:!v!t}o~ ~~~~~t teow, the plenary Revelation is hereafter. 'Tis true the Apofl:le tells us, tbat Lift f;:C,;f"~'f~~~%p:;~tt:~'i~v~af[g~~ :i~~~f;t ~~s0:!ci~i t~~tL~~~t: i~l;~1br~~:l~t~~dth; Light of Faith, which is like to Break of Day, when the Shadows of the Earth and the Light of Heaven are mixt. There is a Veil between us and the Glory of Heaven, partly to try our Faith, whether we will believe the Promife of God without Cenfible Difcoveries of it; and to try the fincerity of our Love, whether we love God for Himfelf, without the difl:inct unfolding of that excellent Glory: and to comply with the weaknefs whilfl: we are in ruch temper'd Tabernacles of Flelh. If the Beams o( l1is Glory were difplay'd before our Eyes, we lhould be flruck with blindnefs, as Sa11l was at the brightnefs of Chrifl:'s appearing to him: The Flood of Light would [wallow us up in Extafy and Amazement. Our £1int Faculties cannot Cultain his OloriQus Prefence. As God told Mtfes, No M,, ca11 fee my Face <md live; St. Joh, tells Believers, Now we arc the So1u of God, and it dotb not yet appear what we Jba/1 be: J:Vow o~tr !'fames are _written;, the Book ofLifo, in the Rolls of Eternity_; now we are Adopted mto the Lme of Heaven; now we are ctoathcd wrth the Rtghteoufnefs of Chrift, the Royal Purple Robe dyed in his Blood; we have the Priviledges of the jufl:ified · State; we have aRi ght to the Eternal Kingdom by our Sa~viour's Purchafe, and the firm Coven:m.t of Grace; we have the Holy Sp;l'it ofPrtmt ife, who is the earneft ofo;n· lnhe1' itanc:, and the Seal _of(!od's Love t-o 111: Bnt the. full partaking of that Glory is refei;- ved till we loavc tlus vtfible World. K k k k k I lvi'lt
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