96o A 'Funeral Sermon on Dr. William Bates. --This was inBethany, but two M~~venient~t-:-T~;;-M;~ the ~;k ,."· ~~~;~ :ze 1~·:,1~1 ::f:~ ~o~~~"~;h,~~:;·h:;1~e~~e ~~:: tif,7;f:'~i~~ ·~~l:~t; Pbi1. 3.18, 19,29· think, where /hall be our next refort? Where is there a confiderable Perfon to be found, that will hereafter give us Harbour and Countenttnce? He might hence be in· duc'd, even to utt_er h~s conclttmatum eft; and to this purpofe, fay, now he is dead, Let uJ all go dre !VItb htm. Their Lord and Maller had before told them, of his being e're long to be taken from them ; and that his followers mull count upon taking up of their Crofs d•i/y. And what, might he think, is to become of us, upon whom, left defolate, the llrcfs is to lie, of the Chrillian Caufe! What Storms will be rais'd againll us, whole Frovince it mull be, to plant and propagate a new Religion in the World! The tcnderell Concern in all the World, and about which Men are moll apt to be enrag'd at any Attempt of Innovation ! And by us, unlearned, uninterellcd, obfcure and contemtible me1i! By what he here fays, he feems nBt afraid to die, but he feems afraid to lzve, and face the Storm, and content.! with the Difficulties, of that (even ho pelefs) under- takmg, which he perceiv'd himfelf, and his Companions, defign'd unto. Rather than thi s, he fcems to apprehend a prejent Death was to be chofen. co~~:~~ ~i~; l~~fe',(, ~t,bi~d~~: ;,~~r["~~~s ~:1u0c~; qt~,i~1,~~;~sb~;:,;;~gr,~;,n~,~~ way, and that, asthofc oppofite Senfes of this Paffage do import; the Variety, _and Contrariety of Principles that are in us, in this irnpcrfea State, makes it no.impoffible thing, but that, amidll the various Agitations of a mufing Mind , fomewhat of GrtUe, and fomewhat of Sin, yea much of an hofJ and ht4Vt1Jf] temper, with fome degree of incogitancy, hall, andfa•lty dijlemper, might be vented together in luch an Expreffion. · The VS E. And now for the Vfe of it, we mull have dillina Refpca to both there ferts of 5 "'f• F:rh~~a~}~~~~fg~:Js!~;i:l~:y h~::·in them, let us endeavour to have it de~~a:~f,'~ll~~~~~dw:~clfe~~-~~fi'i[y~~:~u~~~unts, one may wilh to die with another, eminemfy holy and good. Let us labour to bo in that Temper of Spirit, that with all Reverential Submiffion to the Wife, Holy, and Sovereign Will of God, we may ever be ready to go with the firll: .A good )'.fan fbo•ld need only leave to dit. Conjidtr, Are we fo loofe from all worldly Enioyments, and Dcfigns, as to be c a· pable, when an holy Man dies, ofadoptingthefe Words, Let''" die with him? Will they fit our Spirits? Can we fo far comport with them, as to avow it with an Heart not reproaching us, that it is only O~edience to the Supreme Ruler, not ttrrene lncli- »Aiion, that makes us willing to furvive luch, as we fee going off this Stage before us? That if he in whofe hands our Breath is, will have us ll1ll live, we can fubmit 7!>ith Patitnce; if he fignifie his Mind, we !hall die, we can comply with Gladnefs ? But, d~e~~:~d~n~~~ oJ~~s~~~~e ~~~h ~h~~e~e% ~i~~~~?rss~~~ne~:r~ ?n~;·l;~~! a worfe Evil to fear than Bodi!J Death. To be fo <arnally minded is death, in a far more horrid Senfe. Thi~ Temper of Mind, to prefer an Earthly Abode, before the Pu· rity, and Blifs, of the Heavenly Socrety, is fo repugnant to the moll conllituent Prin· ciples of a living Chrilliao, his F•ith of the unfeen World, his Delight in God, hi? Love of the Divine Prcfcnce, and Converfc with the Father, and Son, in Glory; his hatred of Sin, and defire of perfeCl Holinefs, tl1at he lhould rathe,r take anot/le.r Name, than wear that of a Chrillian, in ConjunClion wi~h the Allowance of fo Un· · chrillian a Spirit, a Temper that tends to fubvert whple Chrifli•wity. And puts ~ .Man into a Pollure ofHollility againll tl)e <;:rofs of Chrill, and the very Defign of his dying. For in ContradillinClion to !hem, w~ofe Converfotion il in H<4ven, jrw11 whence they look for the Saviot¥r, lift they beeome the deClared Enpmies of bis Crofl 1 1Vbo mind earthly things; preferring an earthly before the l1eavenly State. . And the Apo- !lle tells fuch, (weeping as he wrote) That thm n;rl wr/1 be dejlr./Json. This
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