Mr. Benjamin Alhurfl:'.r Funeral Sermon. 3· Sometimes the fp.eedy coming of Chrifl to. Judgment immediately refpefrs the dcfl:rucbon of the Jewrfh State, and therr pnncrpal Crty. Thus in his lafl: Sermon on Mount 0/ivet , the Temple being in his view, he foretold that one Stone foal/not be lefi "PM a~zother: Aud after his defcribing the fearful Events that fuould furprizc Mat ~4· 2t that Nation, tells h1s DtfCiples, Venly !fay unto you, thiJ Generation fballnot pnfs Ae• '· , 0 , till all theft tl.>i~tgs be fitlflled. The time of this Judgment, is called the great and if~ l~tjlrio": pay of the Lurd, when by vifible Vengeance upon that Nation, he declar'd I11S D1vme Power and Glory before the World. And to this famous Defl:rufrion of the Jews, may refer feveral places, where the Apofl:Je encourages Believers to unfa inting perfeverance in their Duty, notwithfl:anding the cruel Oppofition they met Heb.1o. with from Infidels of the Jewifh Nation :Not forfaking the a./Jembling ofo•r Jelves, "'the mmmer offomeis, but exhort one another, and fo m11ch the more tU yefee the day approach~ ing; that is, when Cbrifl: will appear for the fubduing his Enemies, and for tbe relieving his People. 4· Wemufl: difl:inguifh between the Judgment ofSenfe and of Faith, and this will rectify our efl:imate of the time of God's particular Judgments upon Earth, and of l1is univerfal Judgment when be will difl:ribute eterna l Recompences. To Senfe 4Jf,;!~h:s~;~;~:~e 0A~ifu~:0;""ln 'I::!r~f~e~n~l~~i'e ~~::; :~~~ ';tf~~e~r~~;fi~e~e~~ ~f,~ difeafed part, and fl:rifrly obferves all the hours and fmaller part~ of thei r Duration, which when we are at eafe Oip away without notice. In diflrefs we would fain hafl:en away the prefent time, expecting Relief by what fhall fucceed : and winged time feems flow in its Motion. From hence are fo many doleful Complaints of the Ffal. 7o. s,9. Saints, Lord, how long.? Lord, make hajle: as if he had forgot to be gracious to relieve them, and jufl: to repay their cruel Enemies. But Faith in the Divine Pro- ~;r~s/~~~k~j;J;:s~ir Acn~J'J;~n~~!ie~~:h~:~~~e ~~u~rst~oTa~;j~c~:i;'~% 1~~~= ment ; for he is never too late. The Vijion of the Ch11rches Deliverance is for an appointed time, but at the end it ]ball fpeak and not li~; tho it tar1-y, wait for it, hecaife it Heb. 1 o. j~~{;~~tc~;~niJ::{,;:; ~ari'~d ~~i;~~ic~b)~i~~ ~;e ~~iv~rr~rJ~;~m~~~: p;.~;~;a~ little rrhile , a11d he that JbaU come wiU come, tmd wiU not fttrry : he bears long with the fi!'~;;~~,t h~t- ~h: ~{;g,~:;tJ,;~~;l~~·t:h:~~rrd:k.:-v~:;~J~Vr::t ~~~;;f;;}'fo~ Dejlmaion, the difcerning Judge will come and feparote them for ever. 5· Compare Timewith Eternity. Time is numbred and difl:inguifhed by the Motions of the Sun and Moon, and is accounted long or fhort by us with re[pect to our tranfient and limited Duration in the prefent World: but Eternity is an endlefs Duration. The whole fpace of Time, from the firfl: Motions of the Heavens to the lafl:, has not that pFOportion to Eternity, as a fhort Spa11 has to the vafl: Compafs ofthe Heaven. Now God, who is abfolutely eternal, and truly infinite, meafures the continuance of things by his own Standard : accordingly the Pfalmifl: tells us, Pfal. 9o. 4· A ~houfond Years in his fight, are but M yefterday when it if paft, and m a Watch in the Night : as the fpace of a few hours that paffes without the leafl: perception in· fleep. Ef• . H· ' 'e. God comforts his fuffering Church: for afmall "'"'""'t have I fo1faken thee, but with great Mercy will I gather thee: In a. little fVrath I hid 1Jij Face from thee, b11t with ever: lajii11g Kindmfs will I have Mercy on thee. St. Peter replies to the Infidels ofrhe lafl: , P<I·J· Days, who fcornfully fay, Where is the Promifi ofhi< comi11g? Om daJ with the Lord i.r tH a thtmJtmd Years, and a thou.fond Years tH o11e day: all the meafilres ofTtme are determin'd in Eternity. This efl:imate will reconcile the two feeming oppofite Dorations, the long delaying, and thefpeedy coming of the Judge. If a Malefactor be taken, fentenc'd and executed in a day, 'tis quick Jufl:ice: Now the lonaefl: time confidered in God's Duration is no more than the fhortefl: among Men. And the Application of this is more :enfibl e and evident, with refpefr ~o the particular Judgment tbat immediately attends the Death of Men, whether graCiouOy 2 Cor. 4. rewarding, or jufrly punifuing them: The Affl_it1ion.r oft he Saints are but for. a mo1J;ent, compared with the eternal State of Glory they enter into : and tb.o an 1mpemtent Sinner live to extream Age, yet hir ]~tdgment did not ]btmber! but was .hafi:mng, ~or his Death, that is the end of an hundred Years on Earth, Wlli be to lum the beg;rnning of an hundred thoufand Years in Hell, attended with an endlefs Duratron after. Thirdly, We are to conGder the Rewards he will then immediately difl:ribute. What the Rewards fhall be in their general nature we may nnderfl:and, but the degrees
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