them that die in the Lord. · with theirs, mourning when the y mourned, and rejoycing when they rejoyced; what a Soiccifm of Friend/hip is it for you to weep now, when tb~y fing and/hrlllt for joy; and to have your Eyes btubbcr"d with Tears, when God hatb wipld away all Tears from theirs?· Is it your own Lofs you lament, becaufe they are taken from you , with whom, n:iy, for_ who"! ~ou would n~illingLy have died, and given up your ftlves to the Death? Even tillS 1s but the elteft of Self-love, and lliews that you are more concern~d in your own Contentment th1n in their Glory; a1;d rhat you might enjoy them your [elves, you woul? keep th~m frot_n the ir m-ar and .intimate enjoymentofGod. Can you not fora whiled1fpcnfe wHhthcirabfc: nce for the1radvan· tage,<:~.nd make up the ~omfort you want in their .Pr~fcncc,. by the. Con.lf~rt yo.u have in the Afrurance of t heir Happtncfs? What ou r SaviOur fa 1th to h1s Difc,ples , m John 14- 2ti. that may I Iay to you, If you love them, you will re)o)'ce, bccaufe they aregone to their Father: And this feparation , by t h is abfence of theirs, is but for a fhort t ime. 'no you but tread the Paths of their Example, and follow their Tract, and as their Works went before them to Heaven, fo yours lhaU follow you; where you/hall reil: from all your Sorrow; and Troubie.r, where no Aj]liCfion nor Difcontmrment fha,ll ovcrcafl: your perfeU Joy; where without fear of another fcparation you !hall be fathficd in the enjoyment of one another, and all in the enjoyment of God. I have now finifhed my Text, and I would fin ifh my Difcourfe too, but that I fhould much wrong the Gmtleman whofe Funeral Rites we now Celebrate,fhould I let pafs in fil .. ence thofc Vertues which God endowed him with, and wnmg you too in with-holding fo excellent a Patte.rn for your imitation .. Doubrlefs his Conver~e a~ong you 1"'" rvith Modmuion, Gravuy, and Prudence, which werefo natural to htm 1n all the paffauesof his Life, that they have imprinted on you fo deep CharaCters, as will redeem hi~ Name from Obliv ion, and make it precious to you. In his younger Years hisEmploymcntc<tllcd him beyond the Seas, where the Bleffing of God followed him, where . he did not exchange his Principles, nor b:trter aw'!i' his good Educat ion, but returned w i th his Mind untaintcd to his Friends, and improved both to their Joy and his own Profit. He reckoned himfelf but a Stetvard of thatEftate which God blcffcd him with. H is fpiritual Eyes and Hands fought out the Neceffities of othe rs, to rcl i e~e them. Thofe Places of T ruft that he was called t o, he managed wit h fingula r Pndcncc and Faitbfulncfs. The Pfalmifl gives ns the CharaCter of a Good Man , P/al. I ro. He guide.r his affair.r tvith difcrnion . .Such a difcreet Man was he , who laid his Bufinefs in fuch order and method, that though his Employments wci-e many and weighty, yet they never became cumberfomc nor tmwit ldy. And as for his Relative Duries, wherein the chief Glory of a Chriftian appears, thcfe he pcrfQr:11cd roirh much tenderncfs, whether as an Husb.md or a Father. Indeed, the lPhole comfe of hi.r Lift was tempered with fuch Srrmrnrfs, M ttknefs , Humility and Courtefie, as beiug ready to do good to any, having nothing ot fowr re{ervedne[s, but a wnmingnef.rof dlfpofitio •, whereby he gai!~ed as many Frieuds as nccefrary Employments gained him Acquainta nce. His Piery towards God, whiCJl is the Crown of all other Excellencies, fhined forth with a mural awe and revt renct, which poffcft his Heart with an affedionatc feriouf:Jefs, be~ coming that awfuljen(eof God's Omnifcience and Omniprefcnce, makiugit his Deiign in all things to pleafe God. His lafi: Sicknefs he underwent wi1h Patience wor.. thy a Cht ifi •an: By his fubmiffion to the Hand of God, he evidenced the acknowl edgment of his Soveraignty, whereby he might do with him wbr he .p lea fed; and yet trufi:ed in his Goodnefs~ whereby he knew He would do with him rvhat w.u beft for him. Defirous he 1P.u, if the Lord faw good, to live longer. And he prayed, if poffible, that the bitter Cup might pafs from him. And indeed, t he ftrongc11 Grace and clearefr Affurance doth not obl ige any to ext ir pate Nat ural Defircs. .St. P.ttul hi rnfelf, who 2 Cor . 5. 4· was caug;ht up into Paradi[e, and had a fu ll difcovery of the HeaVCtlly Joy, yet was lorh to be ftript out of the Body, though he wa.r jure t o be cloathed immediately with the Robes of Life and Glor y. When his Difeafe and Sickncr.~ cncreafed upou him, his chief Care was, to look, fearch , and exam ine his Evidences for Heaven, which, after fame Scr utiny and Doubt, it produced , he at laft acquired, to his own Vnfpeakabie Comfort, and the Sati.rfallion of his Acquaint~ ance, a fedate Joy : And then reiigned up his Spirit into the Hands of t he Lord, his Maker, and now ReflJ from hi.r Labours, in that Eternal Refr, thJt Chriit hath pro· mifed to fuch as Vo{ait for his Appearance. E e e e c SERMON
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