TheDe/IreoftheFaithful. 191 hemmed about with wicked men : the vilenefs and odiotifnefs of their wicked! 'ayes; may make them to loath wickcdncfs themore, and to lovegodlincls, and to blefs God, that hath kept them, that they have not run to the ¡unc excels of ryot withthem. Infleadof all other Application which thought to have added, as for example, and for inftance : to ¡hew us the trueA iafogy ofa Chrifliun ; that we maydifeern, who is a right Chriftian, and who is not : we mull not difcrn it by our fancies, but by thole Charatiers God hath let: And a jail apology (in the fccond place) for thole that are branded with nick- names. If this be the defcription of true piety, and of a true Chriflian, to have the heart and foul breathing after God, and Iceking night and da. , alter him, and letting themfelves wholly to walk in the way of uprightnefs, with tncerity before God : then certainly they are unjuftly branded, whole confcicnces do an it theic things, and the confcicnces ofother men may tell them, that they do fo, and they fee no other. And fo for convicLión of thole risen that are in the Bofo.me of the Church: they may fee, if they be not according to this ftanip : if they either fail °fit, that there is noneof thefe lineaments to be found in them,tìothingtoward God and his name, no underftanding, noaffection, no endeavours workingthat way; ( and Co for the reft ) if they utterly fail of this, they utterly come Ihort, and arc not worthy the name of Chriftians : but muchmore if they do deride, and oppofe, and conterno the mind, and the waycs of God, which God had) chalked out to us, for our rule and dire&ion : that is a high degree of fayling and coming fhort, and therefore they maybe convinced, that they cannot be right : I doubt when the Books (halt be opened, and every one judged according to thehook ofGod, which (hail be laid for the tryst of our lives : if our lives be not according to that : what - focver our words be , and howfoevcr we carry it ; it will not beat us out then. And it might have been a life altoof Examination ; let every one Of ns etianìitie ourfelves, and what our eftate is accordingto this rule; and what degree' ofthis we have attained to. And then for comfort, for thole that are fuch according to this rote, whe- ther it be in the perfeaion, or in the alfe&ion. If they have not the perfe&i.. on, yet if their atfe&ions Rand and run this way , and that they can truly, and ingenioufly fay, that they arc filch in fincerity; ihereis a great deal Ofcomfort for them. And for Exhortation,out ofthe fcveraf branches of the duty which I cannotmed- dlewith. And out of the feveral Motives that !propounded out cf the words of the 1 Text. But (I fay) inftead of all theftthis prefcnt Sifter oEours,whofc Funeral wenow folannize, I might fetchan Argument as a Motive to allthefe feveral duties from her example. _. Toreturn now therefore to the prefent occafon. 1 willfhcak fomething concerning Hcr,in honour of wholeFuneral folemnities, we are at this time met together, ( that gave us the occafton ) I !hall ( according to my cultome) difpateh it briefly. Whenany childrenofGod die,the laffoffices ofLove are performed to them by three feveral forts or ranks. TheAngels : they convey theirfouls into the bofome of theirfather Abraham, into the bulls ofeternity. TheBearers, attended With the Mourners: they carry theirbodies' to the bofomeoftheirmotherearth, torefi' in tranquility. The Preachers (as it were a middle between Godand them) they commend theirname to the mindsof their friends, the hearers, to live intheir me_' mortes. My part at the prefent is to do this : and I (hall do it, not fo mach ed trumpet ont her commendation, as to takea hint of fornethiïtgfor your inftru&"ton, whichmay beufefitl. Bat I muff intreat you to remember, that you donot ufe to laceor adorn your rnorarnings; and therefore you have little reafonto expe&,any eloquent adorning, any,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=