SIR ROBERT HARLEY'S FUNERAL SERMON. XXXiii ance godlinesse ? His greatnesse professing Christ brought profession into credit, and cast a lustre on it Profession began to grow and spread itselfe under his shade (4). His planting of godly ministers, and then backing them with his authority, made religion famous in this little corner of the world. Oh ! what comfortable times had we (through Gods mercy) before the wars ! How did our publick meetings shine with his exemplary presence in the midst of them ! (5). He would feed heartily upon the ordinances. He came with hunger to them, and did afterward digest them into reall nutriment. How would his heart melt under the word, and dissolve into liquid tears': I have seen him thaw and distill as the weeping trees under the winter sun-beams. (6). He did deal much in prayer. He would embark no undertaking till he had sought God. He would frait his vessell, hoyse up the mast, and spread the sailes : (he would not neglect the meanes) yet he would, by prayer, beg the winds, and wait the gales of Providence to set his ship a-going. (7). His house was an house of prayer: 'twas the center where the saints met to seek God. (8). He was noble in his liberality to the saints in their wants : their necessity was his opportunity. (9). He was spirited with a keen hatred of sin and prophanenesse. He would not, I may say, he could not brook it, in any under his roof. He would often say, he cared not for the service of one that feared not God. (10). He was a friend to Gods friends. They that did love God had his love. Gods people were his darlings : they had the cream of his affec- tions. If any poor Christian were crush'd by malice or wrong, whither would they fly, but to Sir Robert Harley ? (11). Againe, if at any time he had been angry, he would quickly desire to be reconciled; saying, "We must take heed least the devill come between." (12). He loved his children most tenderly; I think no man in the world carried more of a fathers dearnesse in him than he did, yet he would never bear with any evill in any . of his children ; he would often say to them, 1 desire nothing of you but your love, and that you keep from sin. CAME, SOC. e
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