8:w Mr. Richard Baxter's Funeral Sermon. good to Souls. His Induftry was almoft incredible in his Studies: he had a fenGtive Nature deGrous of cafe as others have, and faint Faculties, yet fuch was the continual Application of himfelf to his great Work, as if the Labour of one Day had fupplyed ftrength for. another, and the.wiUinr,mifiofthe Spirit had fi•ppo;ted the Weak 11cjs · ofthe Flejb•. In hts ufuai,Converfa:wn,_ Iusfen_ous,frequentanddeltghtfui)Difcourfe was of Drvme thm!'s, to mflame hts Fnends wtth_the Love of Heaven. He received with tender Compaffion and condefcending Kindnefs, the meaneft that came to him for Councel and Confolation. He gave in one Year a hundred Pounds to buy Bibles for the Poor. He has in l1is Will difpos'd of all that remains of his Eftate after the Legacies to his Kindred, for the benefit of the Souls and Bodies of the Poor. He continued to preach fo long notwithftanding his wafted languifhing Body, that the laf1: time, he almoft died in the Pulpit: It would have been his joy to have been lrl/mjigured ill the Mo1111f. Not long after his !aft Sermon, he felt the Approaches of Death, and was confin'd to his fick Bed. Death reveals the Secrets of the Heart, then words are fpoken with mort feeling and leaft Affell:ation. This excellent Saint was the fame in his Life and g~d~h : H~isrJr:t~~~~sF~~~~[l~~~ ~wfe~~~~~gr~!1~":,~,:~~~~:~;~1 ~e:~,a~f~~-beJ~~ ;:~::; ;;'i,~~{::,:::~:;tp~~:~~ de~tr.cai!:re1::~/:t ;;;:r :a~;td~f:t)e~ i;;;~;;: and the Lufts of the Flejh: be ji1re you choofe God for JOllY portion, Hea"en for your home, God's Glory fo1' JOilr end, His word for your rule, and then fOil need ne'Ver fiar bllt we]hall meet with Comfort. ;' r Be~~:~'~:~~ ~r~e~~fi~':~~~:~~~':b!~kan:~fe~b;[d'~=\£1~~ b~~~~e~~fe~ ~~~~: hilworm ( 'twas his ufual Expreffion): t hat ever went to Heaven. He admir'd the Divine Condefcenfion to us, often faying, Lord what i.t .i\tfan, what am I vile Worm to the great God? Many times he prayed, God be mercifit! to me a Si11J1er, and bleffed God, that that was left upon record in the Gofpel as an effetl:ual Prayer. He faid, ~;::'f/(J~/l:oct;;ft:' :hth ~;:~nD":~:edfu;id: and aU "'Y hopes are from the free After a Oumber he wak'd and fa1d, t Jballreft from my Labour: a Minifter then prefent faid, And your Works foUow you: to whom he replied, No Works, I wiU lea'le out Works, ifGodwill grant me the other. When a Friend was comforting him with' the remembrance of the good many had received by his Preaching andWritings, he faid,~· I wtt.s but 11. Pen iu God's hand, and what praife is due to 11. Pen. 'I· / His refign'd Submiffion to the Will ofGod in his fharpSicknefs, was emin,ent. Wl1en ex tremity of painconftrain'd him earneftly to pray to God for his releafe by Death, he would check himfelf: It is not ftt for me to prefcribe, and faid, whm thou wilt, what thou. wilt, how thoH wilt. ft,~;~;~,;~l~l,~tr~~Ee~i~ hze ~~~d~;;;.;~~;a;;;;~;ho:~ h:Oci'fo' hl;~r?:~df:tJ>!:~ thiB!i::; :fr'[;,1lJ 1~;oi;f:rri!~/s:"{~wl('f:.;·with his inward Man, he replied, I blefs God I have a rr>eU-grounded Ajfitrance of my Eternal Happinefs, and great Peace and Conifort withiu; b11t it wtU...hk trouble he co:tld 11ot triJtmphantly expref.r it, by reafon ofhk extream Pains. He faid, Fl•fh nmjlperijh, and wenmjl ftel the pcrijl;i,Jg ofit: and that thoi~?:~:~~1b';n1P~7~~~~f'Q}.;'~,wo;~:J~~/"'b~e :::1' ~~~·;~eat Jo from his believing Apprehenfionsof t heinvifible State, he replied: What elfe thinkyouChrijlianity ferves for? He faid, The Conjideration of the Deity in his Glory al!d Greatnefs was too ~~!f:::'Hc:::;7h~h:mb'::e t,;c~0'tje;:::d~ :{;Jh:~~:hfwe~:: ~:;/fo~~;;;;~e H:a:{,:~; l•im. The defcription of Heaven in the 12. to the Hebrews and theoo. wasmoft comfortable to him: That he WM going to the innnmerable company ofAngels, and to thegefleral A.!Jembly mzd Ch11rch ofthefirft~born, whofe Namc.r are writtm ht Hea.vm; aud to ~:; ;;~zu:f; t.:~a::.d::;;:11-i~~:!l~;;;::kl~~,~e;;,;r~e~k~;;;t~~ !t;:'~"~~e~~; r.r;;~ lf ~:1~om~~::bl~c~~P~z;~~r~!,~:dE1:~;v;:, foe::o;'(:;t:JOt,;,t , ~!:;~::r,~, ~~~ entred into the heart of Man to conceive the thi11gs God hath laid llP for thofe who love him. , At
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