Mr. Richard Baxter'.r Funeral Sermon. the fP•"k' of it I He defir'd Come Minifl:ers, his ehofen Friends, to meet at his Houfe, and fpend a day in Prayer for his direCl:ion in a matter of moment : before the Duty was begun, he fa id, J have defir'd your Affiftance at thi.r time, becaufe I believe God wiU jo01ter hea1· your Prayers than mine. I;le imitated St. Aufti!t both in his Penitential Confellions, and RetraCl:ations. In conjunCl:ion with Humility, he had great Candor for others. He could willingly bear with Perfons ofdiffering Sentiments: he would 11ot P,rojiit1ete his ow"n 'jJJdgmmt, nor ravip; a11othert. He did not over-efl:eem himfelf, nor under-value others. He would give liberal Encomiums of many Conforming Divines. He was fevere to !umfelf, but candid in excultng the faults of others. Whereas, the bufie Inquirer and Cenfurer of the faults of others, is ufually the eafie NegleCl:er of hiss~7-d~nial and Conte.:Opt ofthe World were fhinin?;Graees in him. I riever knew any Perfon lefs indulgent to himfelf, and more indifferent to his Temporal Interefl:, The offer of a Bi!hoprick was no Temptation to him : for his exalted Soul defiJifed the Pleafures and Profits which others fo earnefl:ly deltre; he valued not an empty Title upon his Tomb. His Patience was truly Chrifl:ian. God does often try his Children by Afl!iCl:ions, to cxercire their 'Graces, to occafion their ViCl:ory, and to entitle them to a triumphant Felicity. ·This Saint was tried by many AffiiCl:ions. We are very tender of our Reputation: his Name was qbf<;ur'd unc\Cr a Clqud of detraCl:ion. Many Oanderous Darts were thrown at him. , B\' ~vas cJ!arg'd, with Schifm and Sedition. He was accus'd for his Paraphrafe upon tl1e New Tertament, as guilty of diOoyal A[perfioos upon the Government, and Coodemn'd·, unheard, to a Pri[on, where he temairt:d for Come Years. ~'};i'J ;~a~ ~~,;nra~~o~;i~~~gT[l~;~~~~~~ 'J~:}r~i~?.~~0ofJ.t~~~~~foe:ht:v~~gjfl::.~ him to lllJ p01ver, I fhould 11ow he ca.Ued tofiiffer for him. One who had been a fierce Diffenter, was afterward rankled with an oppofite heat, and very contumelioufly in his Writings refleCl:ed upon Mr. Baxter, who calmly endur'd his Contempt: and when· tbe fame Perfon publifht a learned Difcourfe in Defence of Chrifl:ianity, Mr. Ba:x:ter faid, I forgive him n.U for hh writi11g that Book. Indeed he was fo much the more tru~ ly honourable, as be was thought worthy of the hatred of thofe Perfons. 'Tis true, the Cenfures and Reproaches of others whom he efl:eemed and loved, toucht him in the tender part. But he, with the great Apofl:le, counted it a fo,al/ thing to be judg'd by Mem day. Hewas entire to hisConfcience, and independent upon the opinion of others. But his Patience was more eminently ttied by his continual pains and Ianguifbing. Martyrdom is a more eaGe way of dying, when the Combat and the ViCl:ory are fini!ht at once, than to dye by degrees every day. His Complaints were frequent, but who ever heard an unfubmillive word drop from his Lips? He was not put out of his Patience, nor out ·of the po(fellion of ·himfelf. rn· his iliarp Pains, he faid, I have a rational Patience, and d believing Patience, though fenCe would recoil. . His pacifick Spirit was a clear CharaCl:er of his being a Child of God. How ardently he endeavour'd to cement the breaches among us, which others widen and }.~e~f,e~ A~ ~:;~~~i~tek;~!'cre~~ r~;;s 'nr~n~~i~~~fl:~~jO,:,;,~;~f!it ~[,~~;(,~ agree in the fnbfl:antial and great Points of the Reformed Religion, and are of--differing Sentiments only in things not fo clear, nor of that moment as thofe wherein they confent, fimuld fl:ill be oppofite Parties. Methinks the remembrance how our Divifions lately expos'd us to our watchful! Adverfary, and were almofl: fatal to the interefl: of Religion, !hould conciliate our AffeCl:ions. Our common danger and cornmoo deliverance, fi1ould prepare our Spirits for a fincereand firm Union. When our Sky was fo dark without a glimmering Horiron, then by oc new dawning of God's wonderful Providence, a Deliverer appear'd, our gracious Soveraign, who has the ~onourof efl:abli!hing our Religion at home~ and gives us hopes of refl:oring it abroad, 111 places from whence 1t has been fo unnghteouOy and cruelly expell'd. May the Union of his Protefl:ant Subjeers in religious things fo defir'd by wife and good Men, be accompli!ht by his princely Counfel and Authority. Integrity with Charity would remove thofe things that have fo long difunited us. I return from this Digrellion. Love to the Souls of Men was the peculiar CharaCl:er of Mr. Baxte>:s Spirit. In this he imitated and honoured our Saviour, who prayed, dyed, and lives for the ~~~;~:;0bJe~e~0~:,ci. A:: 1;~;,;~:M~.~n!,~ub,ri~k:u~i:c iite0:0~i"J~; :;r,~i;m~r;~ed~ good
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