ckil Funeral Sermon. zg and what think you (hall become of us ? When the rich man in the Gofpel was bufie in building his Caflles in the air, and dreaming of nothing but cafe and comfort, and proje&ing years of reft andhappinefs to his life, he little thought (I'le warrant you) of a fummons the fame night ; and that before morning his life fhould have an end put to it, and his foul required of him : And yet fo you fee it happened to him : and who of us all knows that poflibly it may not be his own cafe-? Oh ! how fhould this quicken us to continual warinefs and watch- fulnefs, to diligent circumfpe&ion and obfervation, to lofe aslittle of our time here carelefly and frivoloufly, as maybe ; but to be fure to throw away none of it fin- fully domaconfifling in (matins vivend,t in living moretcauelouflyandwarly for the time to come. A third and left inilancelies in fepientinsprovidendo, in providing more wifely againft the day of our change : when the unjufl Steward in the Gofpel, Lt4e t6. underiood that his Lord had a purpofe to difplace him, and turn him out of his Srewardfhip, fee how wifely he confutes, and proje&s, and cafes about with himfelf, verf. 3. What (hall 1 do ? for myLord ta1Zethfrom me the Stewardfhip well, I am refolved what to do ; yea, and if you mark it too, our Saviour'com- mends this wifdom of his, and chides his Difciples for their lack of like timely wifdom and prudence : and why ? yet a little while and our reckonings alto will be called for, and our (elves required to give in ouraccounts of our Steward- (hips, and then we mull be no longer Stewards: and would it not be wif dom in us,timely to proje& and raftabout with our (elves, and notthrow á1I our provifion upon our left minutes, and have our evidences then to clear, and our affurances of another life to make good, whinwe are every moment upon leaving. of this? The apoftle's counfels is very fafe, r Tim. 6. r9. Laying up for your felon a good foundation againfl the time tocome. See here, a good foundation, that is a foundation of good works, the foundation of an holy life, of a pious and godly converfation : So then good works, they are (you fee) in a good fence a founda- tion, though not of faith or prefumption; though not a foundation, either to bad} off, or to build upon, yet a foundation to take hope and comfort in : now a foundation ( you know) is that which in great meafure fuppors and bears up the whole building : in like manner a confcience of good works , it bears up Faith, it bares up Hope, it bears up Patience; it makes joyful, and willing, and comfortable in the hour of death. This is our rejoycing, faith the Aponte, 2 Cor. I. 12. the teflimonyofour confcience : well, but mark further, lay- ing xp inflore : but whenI (row ? or where? why, even in this life, now, prefently out of hand ; it is iaooaeonueiroyvee in the prefent enfe, and wemuff not make altogether a future.dueyof it : well, but once more, Laying xp in (lore for your [elves, that is, to your proper Life and fervice, for your own intereft and advan- tage: See, what ever good works are pioufly laidout by us, are allo providently laid up'for us ; we arethe chief gainersby them, acidwe receive the benefit, and we do reap the comfort of them; in a word, we lay them up for our (elves. Well, but againft whendo we lay themup? Why, ele ijaoy, lays the Apo- file, againfl the time to came. But what time to come is this? there is a two- fold time to come : the one faturummortis, the time to comeof our death : and fo good works are fundamentan, folatii, a foundation of joy and comfort, to fuppors and flay us, to rejoyce and cheer us in that fad and melancholy hour. The other is futurum judicii, the time to comeofthe late Tribunal and Judg- ment : and fo good works are fundamentem frducle, afoundation of courage and and confidence : according to that of the Apoftle, i ,jtobn z. 28. And now little children abide in him : that is, in your Faith inhis Name, in your obedience to his commands, in a word, in your pra&ice of a holy life : that when he [hall appear, we may have confidence, and not be afhamed before him at his coming. But I fee I muff be forced to break off abruptly, and conclude my difcotarfe on this Text here. Ands
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