Mr. ll ichard Baxter's Funeral Sermo;~. I come now to the fecond thing that encourages the praying Faith of the Saints when they leave the World, to commend their Souls to him, His Perfefrions joined with his Relation: His Love inclines, his Truth engages, and his Power enables him to bring them fafely to Heaven. · r. His Love. This is the brightert Ray of the Deity, the firrt and clearert Notion we have of God. St. ']ohn tells us, God ir Love. His Love cannot be fully exprefs'd by the dearert Relations and Affections in Natme. The Relation of Parents, as 'tis mort deeply implanted in Nature, fo it impli es the mort cordial, rtrong and tender Affe/J:ion. t;lut as God is infinitely greater and better than earthly Parents; fo he equally excels them, as in his Abilities, f<rin his good Will to his Children. Our .Saviour dire8:s 'us, Calt uu Man Father upon Earth, for one is )'Oitr Father, which it in Heaven : The Title and Love of a Father is peculiar to him. Our Saviour argues, If yo1t that ttre C'!Jil, know how to give good things to your Children, how much mfJre fha/1 yo~tr heavenly Father to thofe that ask him? The Inference is fl:rong, not only from the Divine Authority of the Speaker, but from the native Perfpicuity of the Things: for the Love of an earthly Father is but an lnfuGon into his Brea!l: from the heavenly Father, and but a faint refemblance of his Love. The L<>ve of a Mother is more tender and endearing than of a Father : Even a fearful Hen will fly upon Death, to preferve its tender Brood from the Devonrer : Yet the Love of God to his Children far excels it. Can a Woliwt forget her jitcking Child ? What Heart, what Marble is in her Breafr fo incompaffionate and unrelenting, as to neglefr her helplefs Infant? She may, but, faith God, I wiU 11cver forget thee. The Seraphims, thofe bright and unperilhing Flames, are but fairit and cold, in comparifon of God's Love to his Children. 'Tis obfervable how the Love of God to them expreffes'it felf in all the Notions of Propriety and Precionfnefs, to make it more fenfiblc to us. They are !l:iled hir E>od· ,9 ; Treajitre, hk JevJe/.r, the mofi: precious part of his Treafnre, the 1ewels ofhis Crown, ~al.3. that are the riche!l: Jewels. Now wiU he throw away his Trea[ure, q; fuffer the .,h. 9 ' ' 6 · cruel -Enemy to rob him of his Jewels? Will he not take them into his fafe Curto• dy? 'Tis to be obfcrved, that the Efl:eem and Affection of God principaily..refpefrs the Souls of his Children : Their Souls have an original Affinity with him in their Subrtance as Spirits: and being born again of the Spirit, they are Spirit in their Divine Qnalities and Endowments, and more endcar'd to him than by their firrt Alliance. His tender Care to preferve them, will be correfpondent to his Valuation and Love. Moreover, the Condition of departing Souls affords another Argument of reliance upon his Love; for they leave this vifible World, with all their Supports and Comforts; they are rtripp'd of all fenfible Securities: And will he leave them fathcrl efs in fucha forlorn and defolate State? His Love is exprels'd by Mercy, Compaffion, Pity, melting Affections, that are mort tenderly moved when the beloved Object is in Di!l:refs. Our Saviour propounds an Argument for dependance upon ;~~ t~~~:~;·i1J7,5:'~~'~h~fi~~aS~~mo}1~o;e~i~&,c~,;fJ~ ~e:J!~]hf;;'~;:'.<Got,d::fu do it .fPcedily. Love is never more ardent and acttve than in times of Diftrefs. Therefore when his dying Children are deprived of all their Hopes and Dependance upon Creatures, and fly to him for Protefrion and Relief, will he not hear their mournful ReqneO:s, and grant their faintin)!; Defires? When their earthly Tabernacles are fo ruinous, that they are forc'd to diOodge; will the Love of a heavenly Father fnffer their naked Souls to wander in tl,le vart Regions of the other World, feeking Reft, and jiudi11g 11011e i Certainly he will br.ing them into his reviving Prefence. If Divine Love be fo condefcending, that the high and lofty 011e that inhabit! Etemity, m. H· dweU.J with the h11mble a11d cont rite Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the Hiullble, when they are confin'd to our lowly Earth, we may be affur'd, when that Spirit tball be deve- !l:ed of Fle!h, he will bring ir to Heaven, the Temple of his Glory, to be with him for ever. 'Tis greater Love for a King to lay afide his State, and dwell in a mean Cottage with his Favourite, than to rece ive him into his Palace, and communicate ~1,;~~v~f~V~~~c~1s ~~:,,~~=bl~eim:;;~,"~f;~l~ihl~~c~mJfsrt~~~ ~~~~~7~~0~:0~~~t " Caufe of om filial Relation to l1im: Of hi< ""'" Will he begat "'by the Word ofTrutl. His Soveraign free .love was the Principle of his elefring any to the Dignity of being his Children: tbis J.ove is as unchangeable as free; and Election tbat proceeds from it, is as unchangeable as his Love. What can induce him to alter his Affection towards them? For fuch is the perfection of his Knowledge, that he can never
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