810 Mr . Richard Baxter's Funeral Sermon. continue in the deepeft P.ollutions ! yve ~r~ commaJ~ded to live foberly i 11 t his prefi-nt World; yet how many mdulge t heir fwmtfh Appetttes, and debafe themLlvt s even ~~;~;~,.~,~ein ~~~~:, tf~a:h~~~~~;y tpnpdetl~~ . :;~~:~:~~~~~~~J'~~~~~~s~r~r:'cf:o\~~a~~ A~- vengc, poffefs the Brea{(s of many: How o(ten for a Oight, or but rdpmed }1 ; ·ur - t hey are fo fir 'd with Paffion, that the ir hot Blood cannot be fatisfied withoJ tl;~ cold Blood of their Enemies. In fhort, many live in fuch open defiance of the Divine Law, as if there were no God to fee and pun ifh, their Sins, or, as if they would make a triaJ whether he will be true to his Threatning, and revcnge thet r bold I m pietie~ : They are partly worfe thanBr:lles ; for having an underfl anding Faculty, a Pnnctplc of Reafon, they fubmtt tt to Senfe: and partly worfe than Devi ls. for as the Devils, they rebel again(\ God, and yet not, as th<;y, tremble in thei~ Re: bellio~ . Now when Death is ready with its cold Hands to clofe their Eyes, and ConfCience awakes out of Its Slumber, what Horrors fetze upon them ! They are flripp'd of their carnal Securities, the"Creature cannot help them, and the Creator wi ll not. They have been Enemies to that Love that made them and preferv'd them, and, notwithfl:anding their violent Provocations, has (jJar'd them [o long_ They have rejetl:ed that infinitely condefcending and compaffionate Love, that (o tenderly befeech'd them to be reconcil ed 'to God, as if it were his Interefl to (we them. Whither will they fly from their Judge? What can refcue them from inflant and irrecoverable Mifery? Can they hope that Mercy will be their Advocate? Their Condemnation is fo righteous; that Mercy cannot difpenfe with it. Ti< • 1;;{~e~~i~~~1!:::~£:'//:;d:;L:'W:!~~1 *i~,b~~1~d\~r~s:~;;,~;~;~~r"-}~g~~~ PfJl. 5o. and Time. 0 take notice of this with Terror, aU ye that forget God, left f;e tear yu~ in pieces, ttf!d there be none to deliver I Others are not [o viGbiy difobedient as notorious Sinners, bnt arc as really. You may fee their Pitl:ure in the difobedient Son, mentioned by our Saviour in the M~t. 2 r. 2s, Gofpel, who when hi.r Father co.mmanded him to go work in t he Vine)'m·d, anfwered, lgo~ 30. Sir, tmd 1vmt not . 'Tis true, they perform the externa\ part of fome Duties and abfl:a in from the grofs atts of fome Sins, but 'tis with an exception and a referve. A Duty that is contrary to their carnal Appetites and lntereft, they will not perform ; a Sin that bribes them with Profit or Pl eafure, a temperamental Sin they will not pa rt with. Now any indulged habitual Lufl i< 11ot the Spot ofGod'; Childrw, bm denominates the Sinner a Child of the Devil : for tho the Saints till they are deveft ed of frail Flefh , have their Allays, and cannot be exempt from the relicks of Sin ; yet the Divine Nature communicated to them, is oppoGte to every Sin, and is an atl:ive Principle to fubdue Sin. And from hence St. John tells us, He that i.t born ofGod, cannot Si11, that is, deli berately and habitually : Such Sinners, tho in the Hour of Death they may addrefs with all the applying Titles, 011r Father, a11d o11r God, fhal\ ever be excluded from his facred and Ca ving Protetl:ion. . , , . 2 . Let us feriouOy confider whether we are of thiS fpm tual Progeny, the Children of God, not only in Title, but in Reality. The Inquiry is of infinite moment ; for all the Promifes and Priviledges ofthe Gofpel are annex'd to this Sonfi1ip : This feCLtres us from the Wrath to come, and entitles us to the eternal Inheritance ; Lllke 11. Fear not, little Flock, 'tis your 'Father'.r good Plenfltre to give J.Oit the Ki,gdom. This Inqui ry is very ufeful to calm and quiet the troubled Samts, and to awaken unregenerate Perfons out of their confident D ream of their good State, Many fincere Chriflians are infinitely concern'd whether they are the Children of God; of this their Tears and Fears give abundant evidence. The rcafons of their Doubts are partly the Jea loufy of their own Hearts , which are naturally deceitfol above •11 thi11gs, and mort deceitful to a Man's (elf ; and partly from the confequence of the Deceit: for knowing the inef\:imab\e value of thi s Privi!edge, to be the Som ofGod, and that if they are deceived in it, they are undone for ever, they are anxiouOy thoughtful about it. But carnal Perfons who are not acquainted with t he Hypocrify of their Hearts, nor duly underfland the excellence of the Priviledgc, eafily believe what they coldly defire. And the great Deceiver of Souls is equally fubti le ro varniil1 what is evil with the fal[e colours ofGood, and to conceal what ts good under the appearance of Evil. From hence it is, that many tender fpirited Chriftians are timorous, and full of unquiet Agitations all their Lives: and many who have bot a fi1ew and fair pretence of Reli?;ion, are undi~urb'd and hopeful, 611 at laft th-oy £1ll .from their fuppofed Heaven and high Hopes, mto the Abyfs of Mtfery. T bio
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