__,__A Funeral Sermon on Dr. William Bate_s._____92.2_ But above all that is conceivable in that other ftate, how deleaable will their So· ciety be in Worlliip! In their unanimous adoration of the Ever-blejfed God! Fatber, Son, and Spirit! . . In how plcafant, Eterna l Raptures of Delight, and Praife, will all thofe excellent Creatures be, that inhabit and replenifh the vaft Realms of Ligh~, and Bli.fs; wheri all behold, how the feveral kinds of Being, Ligbt, Life, ExcellencJ, l' nd Perfec1ion; by a perpetual Efflux, fpriog from the Fir(/. The Fountain of all Being, The Pa· rent of fo gl~rioqs, and fo numerous a Prot,eny! all God-like, ar~d bearing the bright ]m4ge of therr Fatber ! . j .- 0 the inexpreffible pleafure of this crm{ott4tion in 1·fTorfoip, perpcrual!y tender'd· with fo abfolute a Plenitude of S.risfat1ion, in the duene(s of it 1 And thcgujlfu! ap· prehenfton of wha~ thote Word~ import, Mfor:ll.J art thou, 0 L_on:~! each on~ ~elifhing· lliSOIVn afl, with JU!l fclf-approbation, and IJtgb Delight; /;eJghter:e~ qy th~ir appre-. hcnded, perfect Unanimtiy, ahd that there is among them, no dilfcnring yore. 1. Whence it cannot be but to _,vorpJip God i!J Spirit and Truth, mu.~ Qe to enjo}. hi~,· ~~~~,tl~~~a~ea~s ~~~f~ t~l~dgbj;J ~~-~~~r~~!~jh/p. more the filtisfying ObJcCl of our E~ioJ-. What room, or pretence, is there rioW left, for un,villi»gnefs to die, on the account· of Relatives, we have been wont to conVerfe with iil thi~ YVortd? When fuch an Exchange as this, ic; eo be made b7 dJing !_But, . . . . . . ., . .., 2. We_ a_re alfo ro confider, There rmgbt be an interm_ixtr.re in tbeJemper of this good M anls Sptnt, JVhen he uttered theft words of JOmeJVhat faulry and blameable. Which we are to be caution'd againft. I. There might be too little confideration had, of tiJe dignil] apd _val11e of H:~mane Life; of which the ,great God takes fo particular Care, to guard and lirflain . it both [>y Law and Providence. And of this Creature, M11n, fo noble a part of Di'tline Wor.k-: manfbip, and whom he [et overall the works of hisHttnds, i_n this Lower World. To propound throwi'!g away, at once, fo many focb Lrves, fccms fomcwhat too precipitant. 2 , T htwordsfeemnottofo:vour en_ough of that deferen_u tbJZt is .due to the God of~_ur L ives ; whofc Prerogat_ive 1t is to ktll, a~d to make aiJve : to. meafurC our tirrie, and number our days. It m1ght have been lard, at leaft, ![God will, &c. , 3· T!Jere m~ght be in them, t~o littlegratitude for ~he Mercies of Life, . Or ptt~~ente of iheL difficult m of tt: Som~what hke that of Jonab, 1ake now, 1 befiech thle, mJ life from me. . 4· Too littleregard to the hnfinefs oflife. It might have been, more at leifure, con·: fide red, IS the Bufinefs done, I was born for ! Thetr fpectal Bufinefs, who were to be the Apojlles ofour Lord,. already called, Mat. 10. r, &c. and inflruaed in (lreat parr in the work oftherr calhng; was, apparently, too httle confidered, efpecrally, how'- or for what, his Lord was tO die himfeif, fa far as either from his dw, words, or fronl the Prophets, might have been colleaed. : . pa£t i~~~t~re~:~~~s,;gi~u~~~gbt~0;p~t~hist:~~~~;M:: ~~o! ~~-~fi~:~aff~~ ~~~~a~~ Simeon feern'd to ha\'C confider'd ~he matter more, when he find, !:-low letteft thou th} Servant depart i n Peace, &c. 6. And there is rettfon to apprehend, in thefe words, too much difplir:en&J · at- the Providence ofG~d, in ta king away fuch a Man, now at fuch a time; with fome appearance of ~~~C:}~~;CJif::'(th~g fe";n~~~iflJ::a£;:ei:~~pr;?e~t~4~:h:;~!te~)uf~:i~~i~n3i~e ~:~ as yet, a little thing in the World. Our Lord had fignalized himfelf, by his wonderful Works, and drawn many eyes upon bim, that were at a gaze, but his Heivenly Doarine, and the true defign of his coming, had enter'd into the Minds of .but. afnv t; add thq, of. the meaner fort; HaJ. any of the Rulers believed on him f ,Twas yet' a dubious Twilight; the dawning of the Morning. The Spirit, that was to co,.,-'Joh'.1 , 1:9 • vtn&'e the WoYid, was .not jet given, for 'Jeftu was not 1et glorified. Nicodemus, a (i..abbi, eh. 16· g. came to him, but hy Night. This Cauji, as frill, acco,ding to Humane Eftimate, de-Ch • pen8ed much on Reputation. Men loved (till an overpouring influence bore down eh: ;~-4~,1• all before it) the praiji of men, more than the praife of God; and helieved nor, beca•ft. they fought honour btJe ofanother. It was, now, a mighty lofs, to have one fuch Man drop, that liv'd fo near 'Jer•- falem, where our (.ord's great Work did much lie, but where bechofe not to looge : F ff fff This'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=