Mr. Richard Baxter's Funeral Sermon. 8os 2. The Divine Truth affords a ftrong Security to the Children of God, to commend their Souls to him at laft. Truth is an Attribute as elfential and dear to God as any of his PerfeCtions. And in the Accomplifhment of our Salvation, he ordered oll things becoming to his Wifdom, that is for the iHuftration of all his principal Attributes, and accordingly defign'd the Glory of his Trmh equally with the Honour of his Mercy. Thus he declares to his chofen People, Kuow therefore that Deu~: 1 9· the Lord thy God, he is God, the foithfit! God, which kcepetb Covenant and Mercy, witb them that love him, and keep hi.; Commandments. The Attribute that is fet next to the Deity, as mort facred, is the faithfit! God ; and that further exprefs'd, keepiug Cove1Nmt and Mercy; for he delights in fulfilling his Promifes, as in the frcefl: ACts of Mercy. The Pfalmift breaks forth with the affeCtionate Praifes of thefe Attributes, J willworjhip toward! thy holy Temple, tmd pt·aife thy lVamefor thy lovi11g lCiudncfs a11d PfaJ. 1;a. ~. :;~df;:~1; 'a{~~;:l,i;·Cr~:;;t,e~,~?J,!:~~ r7f:r:o~~~~~o~~eKin~~~:~r~d 11::Se ~~= formance from his Truth. Tl1is he magnifies both with refpeft to the matter of his Promifes that are exceeding great and precious, and the fulfilling them above all that we can ask or think. God cannot repe11t or lie ; his Counfels are unrctra&-able, from the Immutability of his Nature ; his Promifes are infallible, from his Fideli\Y: they are as unchangeable as the Sun and Stars in their appointed Courfes; nay, more!"· J'· ;r. ~~~:, t~~d ~:,c~~;:s' f:e' u~r~ffii1;;:~ ~r:t~!;:a;;f o'f;{~t~~: ~~r~ t~~Wo1~~!,'1~ would be no lofs to God, who is glorious and blelfed in his own PerfeCtions: but ifPromifes fail, the Honour of his Truth would be impair'd and blemi!h'd. The Pfalmift faith, Thofe th<t k11ow thy N<me, will truji in thee: Tbofe who know the Creature, its Levity, Mutability and Mortality, will be difeourag'd from trufting in it ; but thofe who know the eternal Conftancy of God in his Nature and Promifes, will fecurely rely upon him. Now the Promifes, the Declarations of God's Love, without which we cannot ~=;a~:~~i;It~dofn~{ugl~~~e~~0~h~e0~a?~a~dnn~~,;~l~~;;;e?s,0~;:;f:~~n~ht;~eJ:= gree of Light as fince the appearance of Chnft, of the Happmefs of the departed Saints. Dying ].cob breaks forth with a lively Hope, 0 lArd, I h.ve waited for thy Gon. 49· ••· Salvation. 1ob fays, Tho he kiU me, yet rviU I truft i,t hzm; that is, for his Almighty Mercy in the next State. The Pfalmift exprelfes his Confidence, Thou wilt guide me pf,l. 73 , ,,, by thy Cuunfel, ttnd receive me into thy Glory, After the fafe conduCting him thro' a World of Troubles and Temptations, he would bring him to Heaven, a Plaee of equal Purity and Glory. D<vid when he WlS in preffing Peril, addrelfes to God, Into thy HtmdJ I commend my Spirit, to be preferved as a precious Depofltnm; tho~t Pfal . 3r. ,.. ~~~e~~"hfm:"·TZo;oh~ ~:~e:~;;~~~;;, !:,~ ~,~·~~~~r.~~nbt~id~~it~.odi~~~1~ofrl~ fpeaks with full alfurance, We know th<t ifour e<rthlJ Ho•fe ofthi< Taben~acle be dif ,c,.. ,. •· ~~~:~, ~:h:a:b!:,~~~~:,~~g~ t0B:d~er:,;j i;r~:;t;~,h!lthe t~~~'. w~;.rp:~;:~e;:~u~[ie~ ~rifrians when furroundcd with Death, to commit their So11ls to him: Wherefore let , Pet. 4 • ,, them thatfojfer ttccordiug to the Will of God, commit the keeping of their So;tls to him iu ::veU-doi1rg, tu 1mto a foithfid Creator. He encourageth them to encounter Death in its mort formidable Pomp, by conGdering their Souls !hall be fafe for ever, upon ~~a~~~~: f:t~':.n;~f,1~t fi~~dd~::;~~. i~s ~~~~~··a:enfn;~\~e~~=:i:~~'~':t;;a~r~~it~~~ their Nature, but a nearer and more fpecial Right by a new and nobler Creation, as they are renewed Spirits, made like ·to him in his Holinefs, the mofl: Divine PerfeCtion. The Relation of Creator implies his omnipotent Love, and the Attribute of Faithful, his eternal Love declar'd in his Promifes. There can never be the leaft caufc to charge him with Infincerity or Inconfl:ancy. The f~vour ofGod i: romd PfJJ 5 • ~:::s t;;a~;g;~eo;.rfo;ms~;;;dP~o~i1e';~ ~~:/:!tl1he; ;;;Jra"f~; ~::11· tf:~a~~~~/~~~fer,<. '•· their Souls, and the Weight of Eternity with him, who has fa id, he wi!luever leave them, norforfake tbem. 'Befides, the Promife of a Reward to the obedient Children of God, is ( ,cm'd net only by his Fidelity, but the declar'd Equity of his Proceedings in his final Judgment. Tis a Regality inverted in the Crown of Heaven to difpenfc Rewards: Whoe-ver comes to God, 1111tjl believe that he is, a11d that he it a Rewm·tler of/hem that Hcb 11.6. diligmtly feci· him. His Being and rewarding Bounty are the Foundations of Religion.
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