lVlr. Benjamin Afhur(l:'s Funeral Sermon. the Mind from a fcverc refleCting upon the State of thei r Souls, and induces a deep fo~gctful nefs of their Accounts with God. From hence it is , that the d:mgcr wherein fo many arc of loling their Souls for ever, is not perceived till their cafe be defJJeratc. Others are fo involv'd in Secular Bufinefs, their Minds arc fo over- il1aded with the Cares of the \.Yorld, that they are not at Jeifure to attend to the oue thing 11ecef{ary, and can take no ri ght Afpeel: of the World to come. Their Affctl:ions arc !tiff and fetlcd in the Earth, thei r Thoughts are immerft in the Affairs of t his prefent Life; they think it tl1eir Difcretion and Duty to inga~c in the uncefi1nt profecut ion of their Worldly Dcligns, and the Devil takes this advantage to prevent in them the pity and care of thei r immortal Souls : Or if at any time ferious Defires are kindled in them of Salvation, an inundation of Worldly Thoughts prefently quench them. Thus Men periil1 by the abufe of lawful things. The Flood broke in upon the old \Vorld whilft they were eati11g and drinki11g, marryi11gand givi11g i11 Marriage, buying and fell ing, and deflroyed them all: The laft Fire wi ll devour the prefcnt World in the fame dull Incogitancy, and ftupid neglect to prepare themfelves for Judgment. As it rr>as :;o~fcj 1 :-%in1er~~~\f,!{;;"/e~u~~:"a~~ ~ah~n·{,;;; ;;;;, h ~~~~ a!l'~a~~:uf~d~~~ L"k' ' '· ' 6 • D eflrHt1iou-cometh upo~t them, as Travel 11po1t a. Womau rvith Child, as furprizingly as :::!~~:~1 fb;:(~,/;z: {J;~~~~~teffodeh ~;!~:, ::/c~~~~~dm:~1 k:~~~a£Zi(!;r!;,:;~d;n~ Rev. ' 6 • ' 5 • footled from the World, left he beifound naked without the Robe of Holinefs, and be expofed to confoundin g Shame in the great Day. 3· The frequent and ferious trial of Confcience with refpect to our fpiritual State, ~~~n~h: to?i~~':r~f\~i~[ t~v~s ~a~f~~~:i~~oof~~,r~~pi~i~f,a~l~ar;~vc~r~: ~:~da!~~~ ~~~~'Jt~~~r~~LJu~~~:,j~t ~~:~f::~£ b;11~~hJ:h~l;e'fl:~ha~h'j/h~efe £~:,' /;;,'h'Lft:Lif:j he that bath not the Son, hath not Life. The Jufi:ificat ion of our Perfons from the r,y;1 ~,~~ ~~~~~~; ~cri~~o;tdt~~~i=;~~~b~da~~ ~~~ g~v~;:in~~~~efi~~;~;~eh=~'db;'t~; D ea tll arc actually applied only to thofe who are united to him by an unfeigned lively Faith. All the vital Influences of his Merits are derived from him to his Members: he k the Head of the Church and Saviour of the Body. His moft precious Blood that was fhed on the Crofs~ mufr be JP.rinkled 01: the ConfciCJJce to purge it ftom dead Worl·s: The Blood of JPrinklingJPeaks better things than t he Blood of Abel. And the fajth that is faving is not a mere affent in Speculation to the DoCtrine of the Gofpel, but fuch a Belief in the Ble!fed Mediator of his reconciling us to God, as produces a fu perlative Love to him, and by that Love fincere and uniform Obedience to his moft holy Laws. By Faith we are juftifi ed from the Guilt of Sin, by Works from the Charge of Hypocrify, in that we have fincerely complied with the Terms of the Gofpel, by receiving intire Chrift as our Lord and Saviour. We can never with Comfort appear before the righteous Lord, if we have not an intcreft in him as the Lord our Righteo11jnc{s. There are fome of a Moral Temper and Civil Converfation that finally mifcarry, by their neglect of coming to Chrift with earneft hunger and thirft after his RighteouliJefs, which alone can endure the Trial of God's Judgment-Seat for our Abfo: lution: They have not fuch a confcious feeling of their undone Condition by Sin, as to make them earneftl y fcek for a Remedy : the Deceiver of Souls infinuates into their fecret Thoughts, that they are fafe enough, and !ball ftand in Judgment, becaufe they are not guilty of enormous Crimes ; they rarely feel the lalbes of Confci17~~ ~J'~~~:~~~e~vr:10 f~~l~~~ :r,~i~~.~eP~~ftr/~r1 ~~;~iv ~~tL~~;~ ~i~[~;v:~o~~~ and fecret Sins even the moft circumfpect are guilty of, that without an intereft in the Ble!fed Mediator, they will be caft in Judgment for ever. 'Tis therefore of infinite Confcquence to examine our felves whether we arc in a State of Favour and Acceptance with God: t he Jea loufy of many holy and tender Spirits fufjJends the comfortahie Judgmcnt of Confcience, and the vicons Self-love of carnal Perfons fufpends the condemning Judgment of it. · Bdides, the daily review of our Actions is of excellent ufe to prepare us for our la([ arcount. Confciencc is plac'd in our Bofoms as a vigilant Infpe{tor and Dumeftick Judge, to obferve our Actions, and compa re them with tbe Rule, and accordingly to cenfnrc or approve us : When we fail in our Dmy, and violate God's PreCepts,
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