.966 A Funeral5ermonon Dr. William Bates. --J::; thofc that have got Good by~.;;-;;;;;;~in this way, they a-;;-;;;-get no more; thofe that have got none,, that they have loft fo much of their Day; that they arc to be addrds'd, by thts perfwafive Advocate for Chnlt, and their own Souls, no more. Let his. Bmhren, all of us, mourn, that we have loft fo prudent, fo humble fo ioi1ruChve, fo encouraging a Guide, fo bright an Ornament from among us. ' But let none of us mourn without Hope. God will be an Husband to the Widow trufting in him, and the Father of the Pa- :~~r~[;ie:~~~i~1~J,o~ff~m~~.rift for their Father, and their God. He hath not forgot He can alfo find, or m4ke for hiJ Widmv'd Cht~rch, " PAjfor after his omn Heart. And the great Shtpherd and Bijbop of Souls, that gave his L1je f" tbe Sheep, tho' he mttl dead, u alive, and ltves for evermore. All his Hearers, tho' they are no more to hear his pleafant Humane Voice, founding in their Ears, if they attend and liften may hear a Di\•ine Voice crying after them, This is the Way, walk in it. And le; them !wow, that the Gofpel he preacl~'d, is immortal, and never dies, tho' all Flefh is Grafs: And his own Books, tho' he ts dtad, ytt (peak. We, his Brethren, rvm to follow him, as he foll01v'd Chrijl; who will himfelf be IVitb m, alwap to the end. The Work wherein he was engag'd, was common to him and us. Herein, if we follow him, tho' not with equal Steps, faithfully en· deavouring to turn many to Righteoufnefi, we fi1all fhinc as he doch, like the Stars in the Firmament. we need nor be folicirous, tho' nor with equal Lufire, as one Star • 1 Cor. 1 S· diJ/trJ from another in Glory. The Caufc wherein he was engag'd unto his Death, and from which no offered Emoluments, or Dignities, could ever draw him, was not that of a Parry; for he ~~l~t ~~~e·c~~~~~i~~. t~~tl~a~Tie~~~~~~ ~~at0b~lJ;J~u~~~d~ N~~~et c~~~re ~; not dead with him. · Now that he is dead, we are to fay, as that is the Voice of the Chrif!ian Faith of Divine and Brotherly Love, let m die with him, but not as it is the Voice of befpondeney, or Defpair. Let us covet to be with him in that bleffed State; the Reality whereof we believe, and of which our Faith is to be to us the Subftance and Evidence. I know no good Man, that, knowing him, wo•ld not fay, L et me 4ie with him. ~;~~r~~~ ~~ok;;~;~:0i~0:~~fe~~~;fti:~:fo~ft ~:~td b~e 1 1iu~d,e~~~rf:fr,~;o~;i;h the Point ofa Diamond. 0! that 111} Soul were in hts Soul's j!ead; or, .if the Supreme Difpofer had thoug!Jt fit, or fem an e9ual jitnefs /or Tranjlation, tlw l bad d;'d JVith him IJ:::·fi!::~~g,:;::;;;;r:::~{1;!·t~ 7-::;:.:vl;;;; fi; ,~·~:.,t::n,d':1th~ :.~~: A Life that could, regularly, and ejfefluaUy, have redeem'd hiJ,, had been laid down for mAny, in that one, of holh prudent, heavenly Dr. Bates. This is the Senfe of one, not [~;;;~n~~~ ~: ~~dM"fn'~:~·f:a1a'n%l~%'ifh~n}c~~~~ ~~~~~:sm~~~h ~":hft <;;::;'& be confefS'd, as this World was not worthy of this Servant of Chrift ; 'tis become far lcfs worthy now fo excellent a Perfon hath left it. His Love, his Converfe, was pleafant, beyond what can be expreft! 'Tis now a Grievance not to have a part with the fiJent Mourners, when Lamentations could fi·eely have been poured forth, without noife or interruption ! As the Cafe is, nece!llty lays a reftrainr; and leaves it an ealier thing to Jie, than weep out; otherwife, can one be fhy, in a way that can admit it, to tell the World, that to live in it, now he is dead out of it, much lefs deferves the Name of Life! It can be ""'"'· felt, that thofe Words, among the many, Divine Raptu~es, of that Holy Man, have a moft perceptible meaning. When !got He.lth, thoutook'jlaway 1'») Life; , .\ r .And more, for my Friends die. . •: . J•li" Ep;JI. If one may innocently borrow Words, fromfo impure a Mouth, they are very ex· ;;;;...,~;;.- preffive: 1 Jiarce count mJ felf a ~an, when JVlfho•t Iamblichus. ·
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