' 3.71A Sermon at the Funeral ncfs to flay here, that he n1i,ght do fome fet•.. ,~l ee to his ever bleffed n1aker and redeemer; ~ ' and yet his chearful thoughts .and apprehen– fions of that happinefs tl?at is abo:ve and his ardent breathings after it; n1ethinks I hear always fron1 hi n1 the words of St. Paut, To me to live is Chrijl, and to die is gain. · . I ihaU not trouble you w,ith any large explanation, nor with the various readings ~f thefe words .; we .iliall only confider the1n in their mofr obvious fenfe and mean– ing. The bleffed Apofile, being in bonds at Rome, writes this lette,r to the P bilip– pians, to exhort them .to a .perfeverance ia the faith of Chrifl, and to have their con– verfation ' fuitable to it. And, that they n1ight not be difcouraged by his bopds, he tells thern the happy fruits of them, how much they had conduced for the further– ance of the gofpel ; .that the .lmowledge of his fu_ffering w.ith fuch .confl:ancy for that religion which he had formerly fo zeal– o.ufiy uppofed, was fpread throughout that dty, and man~fefi: in the palace itfelf: fo that nlt\ny thereby were converted to the faith of Chri.fl:, ahd others fl:rengthened ia it, and n1ade more bold to preach the gof– pel; fo that Chriil: was preached every where, by fome out of envy at the glory · and
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