Mr. [', ichard Baxter·s Fimeral ~ermim. are _Rivers of Pleafi,·c for ever. All that is evil and afflicting, is abolifi1"d: . all that isdefi rable, is conferr'd upo11 his Children. A glunpfe or reflected Ray of h1s reconcil ed and" favou(able Countenance, even in this lower World , infufes into the Hearts of his Childre11 a Joy mtfpeak"blc and gloriou<: a tafl:e of the D ivine Goodnefs here, caufcs a difreli(h of all the carnal Sweets, the dreggy D elights whicb natural Men [o greedily defi re. And if the faint Dawn be fo reviving and comfortabl e, what is the Brightnefs of the full Day ? None can underfl:and the Happinefs that rcfults from the fu ll and eternal fight of God's Face, and the fruition of his Love, but thofe who enjoy the Prefence of God in perfection. His Goodnefs is truly infini te ; the more the Saints above know it, and enjoy it, the more they dl:eem it, ,and delight in it. His compleat and communicative Lbve·fatisfies the immenfe Defircs of that innumerable Company of blelfed Spirits that are before his Throne: there is no Envy, no Avarice, no Ambition in that Kingdom, where Qqd *d~~ . . . The Divine Prefence i.s an ever-flowing Fountain of Felicity. The continual refl ection upon this, makes He~ven to be f{eaven to the Blelfed: their Security is as ,·aluableas their Felicity: they a .~e above all dangeroflofing it. Methinksthe belief of this fhould caufe.us, as it were ~ith Wings of Fire, with mofl: ardent Defires to fly to the Bofom of God, the alone Centre of our Souls, where we fha ll reil forever. • 3· The reception of theSoul into Heaven ,is a certain Pledge of the Refurrection of the Body, and its re-union with the Soul in t)1e State of. Glory. T he Covenant pf God was made with the intire Perfons of Bel iev~r s :. therefore under the Law the facred Seal of it was in their Flefh. To be the God ofPromife to them, implies his being a blelfed Reward<;r to them. Our Saviour filences tHe Sadduces, who disbeliev'd the Refur rection, fromthetenourof God'sCovenant, I am the God ofAbraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob, wh ich Title he was pleafed to retain after t heir Death ; Now God -h not tbe Gud of / he Dead, but of the Livi1tg. The immediate Inference from thence is, t hat their Souls did actually live in Blelfednefs, and t hat their Bodies, rho dead to Nature, were alive to God with refpea: to his Promife and Power. If we confider that the Divine Law binds the outward Man as well as the inward, and that during the time of our \Vork and Trial here, our Service andSufferings for the Glory of God are from the concurrence of the Soul and Body, it will appear tha t the Promi[e ofthe Reward belongs to both, and tha t the receiving of the Soul jnro Heaven, is an earne!l of our full Redcemption, even that of the Body. Tis true, there is no viuble Difference bet\veen the Bodies of the Saints and of the Wicked here; they are fick with the fame Difeafes, and die in the fame manner. As 'ti s with Trees in deep Winter, when they arc covered with Snow, we cannot dif1:inguiil1 which a:e abfolutely dead and defl:in'd to t he Ax and Fire, and which retain their Sap, and Will be fruitful and tlourifi1ing in the returningYear :. fo the dead Bodies of the Godl y and Ungodly, to external appearance, are alike : ·But what a vaft difference will bebetween them in the next World! The Bodies of the Ungod ly, in conjunction with their Snuls, fhall be call into the Lake of Fire i the Bodies of the Godly refumed by t heir Souls, fha ll enjoy a full and flourifhing Happinefs for ever, The Applicat ion. 1. This may inform .us of the contrary States into which dying Perfons immediately pafs: The Children of God refign their Spirits to the Hands of their gracious heavenly Father, but Rebels and Strangers to God, fall into th.e H(md.r of a revenging J udge. Could we fee the attending Spirits that fnr round fi ck Ferfons in their !aft Hours, what a wonderfu l Impref!ion would it make upon us? A Guard of glorious Angels convey the departed Saints to the Bofom of God's Love, and the Kingdom ofhisGlory. But when theWicked die,a Legion of Furies fe ize upon their expell:ed Prey, and hurry them to the infernalPrifon,fromwhencethere is no redemption. How many Rebels and open Enemies to God are in the Pale of the Chrill ian Church? They will lo.ndly repeat, 0 11r Father which art iu Heavm, notwithftand incr the impudent and palpable Athei fm of their Lives : they li ve as if rhey were i.fdependent, and not aecountable to him who wiU j11dgc the World witho11t rcfpe[J of Perjo11.r. The more f\:r itl: his Commands arc, the Contempt of them is more viflblc. Our Saviour's Prohibition is peremptory, lftf:Jmtto;wt, Swcaruot at aU: but how many make no more confciencc ofS,Vcaring than they do of Speaking, and pour forth Oaths of all f?.fi1ions and Gzes. We are feverely forbid all degrees of Impurity, in the Lo'Jk, in 'vVords, or in \Viflt; yet how many without .reflection or remorfe, M m m m m 2 contmue
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