Mr. Richard Baxter"s Funeral Sermon. breath'rl Celeflial Fire, to infpire Heat and Life into d ead Sinners, and to melt the obdurate in their frozen Tombs. Methinks I flill he ar him fpeak thofe powerful Words : A Wretch that i.; cOJtdemn'd to die to Morrow cannot fm-get it: A11dyet poor Sin- His ~mo~ tJcn, that contimtally are uncertain to live a11 Ho11r, and certain fpee~ily to fee the Majefly ~~;;(e ~~e oft he L ord to their t!11CO!ICeivable Joy or Terror, Mj11rc iH they now lz.ve on Earth, Clt1J. for-Commom get theft things for which they have thet:r memory : and which one would think jbould drown J66o. :~: ;:::.:j/a~::::.fVc(Jd;,a'::d:~,~j,~;i:£; ~::1u:~~~~~::t,:;; Q :u:J:r;;~fo7t 1 ;:e~ 1lf!~:~;~;f Z:r~at:tJo:,11 a~dT;h~ &:;n~{eG;d: ~;~e:i>eJ;"fc/~j;'hef:E~::zt~a;f:~;;:~ able Abodu, when they ftand even at the door; dJtd ther e is bJtt the thi11 Vail of Flejb hetn-·em them and that amazing fight, that Eternal Gulph , and they are daily dyi11g and jlcppin!,ill. Befides, his wonderful diligence in Catechi6ng the pa rticular Families under his Charge, was exceeding ufeful to plant Religion in them. Perfonal inflrull:ion, and application of Divine Truths, has an excellent advantage· and efficacy to infinuate and infufe Religion into the Minds and Hearts of Men, and b y the Converfion of Parents and Maflers to reform whole Families that are under the ir immediate direll:ion and go- ~f~nnm~~;~n~~f;~;~~~~~n~:,t~~ec:ft:s.~~i;:~~~:~~f~~~!~~~~:n~~~~~it~~~~~ be clears beyond all cavil, That the Duty of Miniflers is not confin'd to their Study f~~,t;;~~~;t~s?.~! ~;~ ~~e;~~~~~m!~~~.C:~~:~~fJ'~~~":'b~i~~ ~~t~~~~"g;.~~;i~;:;~~~ that WM profitable, b11t had tanght them pnblicklJ, and from hoHje to honfe. The Idea of a faithful Minifler delineated in that book, was a Copy t aken from the Life, from his own zea lous Example. His unwearied indullry to do goo d to his Flock, was anfwer"d by Correfpondent Love and Thankfulnefs. Hewas 'an An gel in their Efleem. He would often (peak with great Complacence of their dear Affel l:ions : and a little before his Death, fa id, He believ'd they were more Expreffive of Kindnefs to him, than the Cbriftian Converts were to the ApofHe J>aul, by what appears in his Writings. \Vhi le be rernain'd at Kederminfte,·, his Illuftrioos Worth was not ibaded in a Corner, but difpers'd its Beams and Influence round the Countrey. Bj< his Counfel and Excitation, t11e Minift:ers in fVorcejle1-jbire, Epifcopal, Presbyterian and Congregational were united, that by their Studies, Labours, and Advic e, the DoCl:rine and PraCtice of Religion, tl1e Truths and Holinefs of the Gofpel might be preferved in all tl1e Churches committed to their Charge. This Affociation was of excellent ufe, the ends of Church-government were obtain'd by it: and it was a lead ing Example·to the Minifiers of other Counties. Mr. Baxter was not ~bove his Brethren MiniO:ers, by a Superiour. Title, or any fecular advantage, but by hts div ine endowments and feparate excellencies, his extraordinary wifdom, zeal, and fideli ty : He was the Soul of that Happy Society. ' He continued among his beloved People, till the year 1 66o. then he came to Lo11don. A wl1i le after the King's Reft:oration, there were many Endeavours us'd in or~ der to an Agreement between the Epifcopal and Presbyterian Miniflers. For this :~1/.~~;;_U,~~: ,8~~~~s~~~es~~;dn~o 0th~~~~~~~:;!ri~:~r~~!~ '~~ ~f:h~r~~~ ~re dom and ,Moderation, by the Lord Chancellor the Ea rl of Clarcndon. I !hall only obferve that in reading the feveral parts of th~ Declaration, Dr. Morlry was the prinCJpal manager of the Conference among the Bifhops, an d Mr. Baxter among the Mininers: and one particular I cannot forget; it was defi r'd by the Mini!lers, that the Bifhops fhon ld exercife their Church Power with the co unfel and confent of Presbyters. This limiting of their Authority was fo difpleafin g, that Dr. Cofm, then elcll: of D11rha111, C1id, If your Majefly grants this you will Unbifhop yo ur Bifhops. Dr. Rey11oldi upon this produced the Book, entituled, The Portrttilture of his Sacred Mlljcfl.Y_ in hii Soii:ude Ill!~ Sujferingi, and read ~be_following Paffage: Not that I 1u1~ ngn.mfl the mtmtl,~mg ofthu Pr~jide11cy ond Authonty m One Mn.u by the joiut Cou'!fel 11,1~ Co11fent ofnumy Pruhyter.1: 1 have ojfer'd to rejlore that, M afit metms to avoid t htlje Errors, Corr1tptio11.1 and Pllrtilllitiu, 1Phich tlre i1Jcide111 1o a11y One l\1a1t: a!fo to avoid TyJ·anny, which becomn 110 Chrijlian.1, lcajl of llli Churc h-men. Bejldu, it wiU he a meam to take ttwtly thtlt hurthen tmd odium of lljfairs, wh ich may lie too heavy 011 one Man'J Sho11lder.I, tlS indeed I think it did formerlJ 011 the Bifoops here. The good Doctor thought, that the Judgment of the King's affiill:ed and inquiring father would have been of grfa t momem to incline him to that temperament : but tlte King prefent~ N 1111 n n ly
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