Mr. Benjamin Afhurfl:'s Funeral Sermon. ccpts, it fhmlld work upon the AffeGl:ions of Grief and Shame, and caufe us earnefiIv to addrJs to the Throne of Grace for Pardon: and renew rhc Application of the Blood of Chrifl to our Souls. According to the qua lity of our Sins, our Repentance !hould be more Colemn and fpeciJ!, we fhould more fevercly judge our felves t!m we may 11ot be jud~ed by the Lord. This is very unplcafant Work to carnal Men: but 'tis the indifpenfiblc Condition of obtaining pardoning Mercy : 'tis the moO: congruous way of recovering Sinners both for the Honour of God, and our Good, fof the broken and contrite Perfon will mofl prize the Favour of God, and be moO: fearful of returning to Sin. Indeed then our Repmttwce is unto Lift, when the dominion of Sin is fubdued, and the way is forfaken. Now, the fpeedy coming of our Judl(e fhould recommend this fevere Repentance to us: it Omuld excite Confeience to the daily obCervation of our Errors, then when Sins are committed, we may be reO:IeCs till we get them pardoned : tho Men may Cupprefs and finother the Convill:ions of ConCcience at the prefent, yet it will Omrtly, like a fierce and terrible Officer, take the Guilty by the Throat and command him to pay what he owes to Divine Jull:ice. 'Tis our Wifdom to compare the bitternefs of Repentance with the Torments of Hell : Repenting Sorrow is for the cure of Sin, the Sorrow of Hell is for the }Juuifimlent of Sinners for ever. Repwt, that you,. Sins mal be blotted out in the times of Refrefhmmt from the Prife11ce of the Lord. 4- The perfwafion of this Doll:rine is an excellent means to obtain a calm and contented frame of Spirit in every State : For if we confider within a little while all Civil DiO:inll:ions of High and Low, Rich and Poor, fl1all be at an end, and only the Moral DiO:inll:ipns of Holy and Unholy, Righteous ~nd Unrighteous, !hall remain, that all muO: fiand in an equal Line before the Judgment-feat of Chrifi, to receive eternal R.ecompences, how will it vilify this World in our eO:eem, and confequently make a mean and low Condition tolerable to us? 'Tis related of '}lt!im Cefar, that being in a Storm at Sea, he was fain to flrip himfelfnaked and fwim for his Life, carrying in one hand his Commentaries written by bimfelf of his Military Actions: Wit hin a fimrt time we nmfl be devefled of all the external Circumflances of tho prefent Life, Riches, Honours, Dignities, and of the Garment of our Flefn, and our naked Souls !hall only carry with them the Book of Confcience, wherein all our All:ions are recorded with our own Hands, into that vaO: Eternity before us: this fl1ot!ld make us more indifferent what our p~efent State is, that we muO: fhortly leave, and very follicitous to order our Converfation fo as to be accepted of our Judge. Particularly it fhould render the Praife or Difpraife of Men a very finall matter to us. Within a little while we !hall only have to do with God, depend intirely upon ~~~11~v~;~ f,~~~r~:~ra;:b\~st~~~t~~f: i~~~~;fr~~~nu~F1hi~rJ~·J~~~e~~~ob~~~~~~~~~~ contingent Opinions of Men, who raife or deprefs our Names according to thejr Fancies and Paffions, and to be fatisfied in God's Approbation. 5· The Confideration of this Point lhould encourage us joyfully to endure Rep roach or Violence for the Teflimony of Divine Truth, to fuffer for Righteoufnefs fake: for, as the ApoO:!e comforts the fuffering ChriO:ians, Within a little while, he that JIMU come will come, and wiU not tarry; and will befrow an excellent Reward in ~~~~~~e,"b~~ 61~i~~i1~~1ns~h~as~ti~ts ~1~r{ei~':nc~fln~~c~dst;;;1 ~~~ffl~~e ~~~~11 tf C!uiO:. 6. The Confideration of this great Truth fi1ould regulate our Deportment towards all Men, with Sincerity, Equity, Benignity, and Clemency. 'Tis the Apofiles cho- ' Th(f. 4 6. fen 'Argument, Let 110 Mau go be;•ond, or defraud hif Brother iu 11.ny matter ; becaufe the rhil. i· s. Lord i!' the Avmgcr of aU Jitch. Let ; •our Moderation be knorrm to all Mm, the Lord i.t at ha11d. To fum up all: Let us with intire Application of Soul, and zealous Endeavours , c0 ,. , . flri vc to be approv'd by our Judge. We lab01tr, f.1ith the Apofile, whether prefent or tfa~~'p(:, b~;c\cg~~~ f~shf:;~ce~;~e ~~t~~7n~~l~s L~~t~~r~;r,~!;~·.~;~;~~ \~;~af~ i~~ nocence, Pa tiente, and Purity. He rvent about doi11g Good : let 111 do good to aU, eJPe~ cially to the Houfbold of Faith. To ufe an EO:ate only for mean Ends, our T emporal Convenicncics, much more to abufe and pervert it, to foment Pride and Luxury, will make our Accounts to be uncomfortable, and grievous: but to be liheral anrl rich in Good Works, is theinfall ible way to obtain a rich Reward. He forgave his cruel and undghteous Enemies; l1is dyjng Prayer mixt with his precious Blood was to re~ concile God to thofe who fhed it; and our Abfolution in his Judgmen t is fufpended upon
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