CfU i 
 
■KM 
 
A 
 
 Funeral-Sermon 
 
 FOR THE 
 Reverend, Holy and Ex- 
 cellent DIVINE, 
 
 Mr. Richard Baxter, 
 
 Who deceafed Decemh. 8. 1691. 
 WITH 
 
 ,n Account of His LIF E. 
 
 _4 
 
 By WILLIAM BATES, D.D. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for Br ah. Aylmer, at the Thret 
 
 Pigeons againil the Royal Exchange 
 
 in Cornhill. 1692. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/funeralsermonforOObate : 
 
To the Right Worfhipfiill * 
 and his much Honoured Friend, 
 
 S r Henry Ajharjt, Baronet- 
 
 SIR, 
 
 YOur Noble and Conftant 
 fiindnefS to Mr. Baxter 
 Living j and your Honourable 
 (ftefpeft to him Dead, have in- 
 duced me to infcribe the follow- 
 ing Memorial of him to your 
 Name. He was moft worthy 
 of your highefl Efleem and LoVe, 
 for the frft ImpreJJions of Hea- 
 ven upon your Soul y were in 
 Reading his unvalued Book of 
 the Saints Everlafting Reft. 
 This Kindled a mutual Afjeciion 
 in your <Breafts : his LoVe was 
 A 2 Vh 
 
Epiftle Dedicatory. 
 
 VireBing, Counjelling, and Ex- 
 citing you to Jecure your Future 
 HappimfS : your Loire was Ob- 
 ferVant, Gratefully and Benefi- 
 cent to him. The Sincerity and 
 Generoflty of your Friendfbip, was 
 Very evident, in your appearing 
 and [landing by him, when he was 
 fo roughly and unrighteoufly hand- 
 led, by one, who was the diJJ?o- 
 nour of this Ages Law -, whofe 
 Deportment in a high place $f 
 Judicature, was Jo contrary to 
 Wifdom, Humanity, and Juflice, 
 that there need no foul words to 
 make his Name odious. Of this 
 and your other Favours Mr. Bax- 
 ter retain d a dear and lafting 
 Senfe ; and in his dying hours 
 declared, that you had been the 
 
 befl 
 
Epiftle Dedicatory 
 
 beft friend he ever had. He has 
 finifhed his Courfe, and recei- 
 ved his Crown ; His Name 
 will jhine longer than his Enemies 
 fhatt bark, 
 
 I cannot omit the mentionim, 
 that Mr. Boyle and Mr. Baxter, 
 thofe incomparable^)' fons in their 
 federal Studies, and dear Friends, 
 died within a fliort fpace of one 
 another. Mr. Boyle was enga- 
 ged in the Contemplation of the 
 Dejign and Architecture of the 
 Yifible World, and made rare dif- 
 coVeries in the fyflem of Nature: 
 not for Curiofity and barren Spe- 
 culation, but to admire and adore 
 the perfections of the Deity in the 
 Variety, Order, 'Beauty, and mar- 
 vellous Artifice of the Creatures 
 A 3 that 
 
Epiftle Dedicatory. 
 
 that compofe this great UniVerfe* 
 Mr- Baxter was conVerfant in the 
 inVifible World: his Mind was 
 cmftantly applied to under jland 
 the harmonious Agreement of the 
 Divine Attributes in the Oeconomy 
 of our Salvation, and to reftore 
 Men to the Fay our and Image of 
 God. They are now admitted into 
 the inlightned and purified Society 
 aboVe : where the immenfe Vo- 
 lumes of the Divine Wifdom are 
 laid open, and by one glance of an 
 eye, they difcoVer more perfectly 
 the Caufes, EffeBs, and Concate- 
 nation of all things in HeaVen and 
 Earth, than the mofl'diligem In- 
 quirers can do here, in a thoufand 
 years Study, though they had the 
 Sagacity of Solomon ( By the 
 
 Light 
 
Epiftle Dedicatbry 
 
 Light of Glory, they fee the face 
 of God, and are fatisfied with 
 his likenefs for ever. 
 
 Tis a high honour to you, that 
 Mr. Boyle and Mr .Baxter fhould 
 by their Lafk Will nominate you 
 amongfl their Executors. It 
 was the Saying of a Wife Roman, 
 Malo divi Augufti judicium, 
 cjuam beneficium. I had ra- 
 ther haVe the Efteem of the Em- 
 per our Auguftus than his Gifts: 
 for he was an underfianding 
 fprince , and his Efteem was Very 
 Honourable to a ( Perfon. Tiiat 
 two who fo excelled in Wifdom 
 and Goodnefi, fhould commit to 
 your Truft the difpofal of their 
 EJlates for the Ufes ofTiety and 
 Charity , is a more noble Tejli- 
 
 mony 
 
Epiftle Dedicatory. 
 
 mony of their Efteem of your Pru- 
 dence and inviolable Integrity, than 
 if they had bequeathed to you 
 rich Legacies. 
 
 It is a fatisfaSlion to me, that 
 I have complied with Mr. Bax- 
 ter 5 dejire in Preaching his Fu- 
 neral-Sermon, and with yours in 
 (publijhing it. I fhall unfeigned- 
 ly recommend Jour f elf , your ex- 
 cellent Lady, and Vertuous Chil- 
 dren, to the DiYine Mercies : and 
 remain, with great P^efpeEl, 
 
 S I R, 
 
 Your humble and 
 faithfull Servant, 
 
 William Bates. 
 
A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 On the DEATH of 
 
 Mr. Richard Baxter. 
 
 Luke 23. 46. 
 
 And when J ejus had cried with a 
 loud Voice, he J aid, Father, 
 into thy Hands I commend 
 my Spirit. 
 
 THE Words are the Pray- 
 er of our Bleffed Saviour 
 in the Extremity of his 
 Paffion. His unrighteous and 
 implacable Enemies had nail'd 
 his Body to the Crofs, but they 
 B had 
 
A Tuner ah Sermon on 
 
 had no power over his Spirit, 
 that was ready to take its flight 
 to the San&uary of Life and 
 Immortality. This dying Pray- 
 er of Chrift is a Pattern for 
 iincereChriftians : He "has in- 
 verted them with the Relati- 
 on of Children of God ; and au- 
 thorifes them by his Example, 
 to commend their departing Spi- 
 rits to his powerful Love. The 
 Obfervation I feall unfold and 
 apply, is this : 
 
 'Tis the Priviledg of dying 
 Saints, to commend their 
 Spirits into the Hands of 
 their Heavenly father. 
 
 Indifcourfingof this, I (hall, 
 
 I. Confider the Foundation 
 of this Priviledg. 
 
 II. Shew what a blefled Pri- 
 viledg this is. 
 
 III. Apply it, 
 
 r The 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 
 
 1. The Foundation of this 
 Priviledg is to be confider'd : 
 This is built upon two things. 
 
 i. The Relation of God to 
 the Saints* 
 
 2. His Perfections joined 
 with that Relation. 
 
 i. The Relation of God to 
 the Saints. The Title of Fa- 
 ther is upon feveral Accounts 
 attributed to God. 
 
 (i.) He is a Father by Cre- 
 ation: Lord, thou art our Fa- !&• £4* 
 ther : we are the Clay, thou art 
 the Potter, rve are the Work of 
 thine Hands. He formed Man's 
 Body into a Majeftick Figure, 
 becoming his original State, be- 
 ing Lord of the lower World* 
 But in a peculiar manner he is 
 ftiled the Father of Spirits i they - 
 have a near Alliance, and Re- 
 femblance of the Father of 
 Lights, in their intelle&ual 
 B 2 Pow^ 
 
A Funeral Sermon on 
 
 Powers, and their immortal 
 Nature. From hence it is, the 
 Job 2. Angels are called the Sons of 
 God ; They are the eldeit Off- 
 fpring of his Power. Adam has 
 Luke 3- the Title of the Son of God. 
 And fince the Fall, Men are 
 called God's Offsfring. There 
 is an indelible Character of Dig- 
 nity engraven in the reafbnable 
 Nature by the Hand of God. 
 But fince Man turn'd Rebel to 
 his Creator and Father, this 
 endearing obliging Relation 
 aggravates his Rebellion, but 
 gives him nolntereft in the Pa- 
 ternal Love of God, of which 
 he has made a deadly Forfeiture. 
 > Hs threatned againft ignorant 
 perverfe Sinners, He that made 
 them, mil not fave them. 
 
 (2.) Upon the account of ex- 
 ' ternal Calling and Profeflion, 
 there is an intercurrent Relati- 
 on of Father and Sons between 
 
 God 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 
 
 God and his People. Thus the 
 Pofterity of Seth are called the Gen - 6 - 
 Sons of God : and the entire 
 Nation of the Jews are fb fti- 
 Jed ; When Ifrael was young, 1 Hofcan; 
 called my Son out tf/Egypt. And 
 all that have received Baptifm, 
 the Seal of the holy Covenant, 
 and profefsChriftianity, in this 
 general Senfe may be called the 
 Children of God. But 'tis not 
 the outward Dedication that 
 entitles Men to a laving Intereft 
 in God, unlefs they live accor- 
 ding to that Dedication. There 
 are baptized Infidels, as well as 
 unbaptized. How many every 
 day fall as deep as Hell, whofe 
 hopes were high, on the account 
 of their external Chriftianity. 
 
 ( J.) God is our Father upon 
 a more excellent Account, by 
 Renovation and Adoption. The 
 natural Man is what St. Paul 
 faithof the voluptuous Widow, 
 B J dead 
 
A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 dead while he lives. There is 
 not only a ceflation of fpiritual 
 A&s, but an utter incapacity to 
 perform them : he cannot obey 
 nor enjoy God. Now the re- 
 newing of Man is called a Re- 
 generation : Our Saviour tells 
 Nieodemu* , Verily I fay unto you y 
 Vnlefi a Man be born again, he 
 cannot enter into the KJngdom of 
 Heaven. The reafon of the 
 Expreffion is, becaufe there is a 
 new Nature, fpiritual, holy and 
 heavenly, communicated, dif- 
 ferent from the carnal, polluted 
 and earthly Nature, derived 
 from the firft Adam. And as 
 the Relation of a Father refults 
 from the communicating a vital 
 active Principle to another, in 
 that kind of Life like his own : 
 fb God by making us Partakers 
 of a Divine N at ure, of hu Life and 
 Image, is Ailed our Father : Of 
 JjutJiJ iB. fa cwn Witt begat he w y with the 
 
 Word 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 
 
 Word of Truth. And we are 
 faid, to be born again, not of cor- 1 ^t. »*« 
 ruptible Seed, but incorruptible y 
 by the Word of God ^ which liveth 
 and abideth for ever. By the 
 Divine Influence, the Word of 
 God implants in them fuch Qua- 
 lities and Difpofitions whereby 
 they refemble God, are holy, a* 
 he is holy, in all manner of Con- 
 ner fat ion. They are called god- 
 ly, as they are like him in their 
 Minds, Affe&ions and Actions. , 
 And to fuch God has the Heart 
 and Eye of a Father, to regard 
 and relieve them in all their 
 Exigencies. Like a* a Father P&Mo?. 
 pities his Children, fo the Lord 
 fities them that ferve him. 
 
 We are alfb the Children of 
 God by Adoption. This hea- 
 venly Privilege is obtained for 
 us by the meritorious Sufferings 
 of Chriit, and is founded in our 
 Union with him. God fent his 
 B 4 Son, 
 
8 jpFuneral- Sermon on 
 
 Gal. 4. Son^ that he might redeem them 
 that were under the Law, that they 
 might receive the Adoption dfSons. 
 For his fake we are not only 
 pardoned, but preferred to this 
 Heavenly Dignity. 'Tis wor- 
 thy of Obfervation, that the 
 Degrees of our Redemption 
 mentioned in Scripture, have 
 annex'd to them parallel degrees 
 of our Adoption. Thus when 
 'tis fa id, We are redeemed from 
 the Curfe of the Law, 'tis added, 
 That we might receive the Adop- 
 tion of Sons. When 'tis faid, 
 We are freed from the fervile Spi- 
 rit of the Law, it follows, We 
 
 Rom. 8. 1 $-have received the Spirit of Adop- 
 tion, whereby we cry, Abba, Fa" 
 ther. And the Apoftle tells us, 
 That the redemption of our Bo- 
 dies from the bondage of Corrup- 
 tion, into the glorious Liberty of 
 the Sons of God, is our Adopti- 
 on, that is the manifeftation 
 
 of 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter, 
 
 of it before all the World. 
 
 Our Adoption is founded in 
 our Union withChrift. A Mem- 
 ber of Chrift, and a Son of God 
 are the fame : 'Tis therefore 
 laid, As many as received, him, to J oht '• I2, 
 them gave he Power ; or Privi- 
 lege, to become the Sons of God, 
 even to them that believe on his 
 Name. And ye are all the Sons GiI - 3* &• 
 of God, by Faith in Jefus Chrijl. 
 This is the vital Band of our 
 Union with Chrift, and inverts 
 us with his Relation to God. 
 When he was toleave theWorld, 
 he fends this comfortable Mef- 
 fage to his Difciples ; Go y tell]^^ l 1 
 my Brethren, I afcend to my Fa- 
 ther and your Father, to my God 
 and your God. His Relation 
 has the precedence in Order, 
 Dignity and Caufality. He is 
 God's own Son, in a fenfe infi- Rom. 2. 3. 
 nitely high and proper to him- 
 felf : To which of the Angels (aid Heb. 1. $. 
 
 he 
 
i o A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 be at any time, Thou art my Son, 
 to day have 1 begotten thee ? The 
 fublimeft Prophet breaks forth 
 
 p 53< with Wonder, Who {ball declare 
 his Generation ? 'Tis above our 
 Capacity and Conception. It 
 becomes us to acquiefce in what 
 the Scripture reveals. He is 
 the eternal Word and Wifdom 
 
 >* $ of God, the Bright nefs of his Fa- 
 ther s Glory. This is the mod 
 fit Companion : for as Light is 
 productive of Light without a* 
 ny diminution ; fo the Eternal 
 Father communicated his Ef- 
 fence to the Son. In fhort, God 
 is ChrifFs Father by Nature, 
 and God by Difpenfation ; he 
 is ourGod as the Author of Na- 
 ture, and our Father by Adop- 
 tion. 
 
 Before I proceed, it is fit to 
 obferve the Excellence of the 
 Evangelical Adoption above the 
 Civil Adoption among Men. 
 
 (i.)Adop- 
 
. Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 1 
 
 (i.) Adoption is a legal Aft 
 in imitation of Nature, for the 
 Comfort of thofe who are with- 
 out Children. But God had a 
 Son, the Heir of his Love and 
 Glory. His adopting Love is 
 heightned by confidering our 
 Meannefs and Vilenefs : we are 
 but a little breathing Duft, 
 worthlefs. Rebels. The Apo* 
 file cries out in a rapture of Ad- 
 miration and Joy, Behold what 
 manner of Love the Father hath 
 be flowed upon /#, that we Jhould 
 be called the Sons of God ! If we 
 confider the natural Diftance 
 between God and us, as he is 
 the Creator, and we are the 
 Works of his Hands, 'tis truly 
 infinite; but the moral Diftance 
 between the holy righteous God 
 and the guilty polluted Crea- 
 ture, is, if it were poffible,more 
 than infinite : Love inconcei- 
 vable! That releafes us from 
 
 Bon* 
 
12 .A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 Bondage, and adopts us into the 
 Line of Heaven. If we admire 
 any thing of this World in com- 
 panion of it, 'tis a fign we have 
 no fhare in this Privilege. 
 
 (2.) Civil Adoption conveys 
 no Praife-worthy Qualities into 
 the Perfon that is adopted. A 
 King may adopt one to be his 
 Son, and the Heir of his King- 
 dom, but cannot endow him 
 with a Royalty of Spirit, with 
 ruling Wifdom, with Juftice 
 and Equity, Clemency and 
 Bounty,with Magnanimity and 
 Fortitude, that may qualify him 
 to manage the Scepter. The 
 adopted Prince may be of a low 
 fordid Difpofition, a Slave to 
 his vile Lufts, and defigning to 
 enfiave others. But all the a- 
 dopted Sons of God are divine- 
 ly renewed ; they are purified 
 from defiling & debafing Lufts, 
 and are adorn'd with all the 
 
 Graces 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. i ; 
 
 m , „ 1. — 
 
 Graces of the Spirit, that God 
 is not ajhamed to be called their ^ eb# 
 God and Father , nor Chrift ajha- Heb. 2. 
 med to call them Brethren. Now 
 from this fpecial Relation and 
 Intereft of God in the Saints, 
 there is a fure Foundation of 
 their Truft in his faving Mer- 
 cy. David addrefles himfelf to 
 God for his prefervation from 
 imminent Danger, I am thine ^ Md.119. 
 fave me : As if his mifcarrying 
 would be a Lofs toGod,whohs:d 
 fo dear a Propriety in him. 
 
 I come now to the fecond 
 thing that encourages the pray- 
 ing Faith of the Saints when 
 they leave the World, to com- 
 mend their Souls to him, His - 
 Perfections joined with his Re- 
 . lation : His Love inclines, his 
 Truth engages, and his Power 
 enables him to bring them fafe- 
 ly to Heaven. 
 
 1. His 
 
1 4 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 i. His Love. This is the 
 brighteft Ray of the Deity, the 
 firft and cleared Notion we 
 have of God* St. John tells us, 
 God is Love. His Love cannot 
 be fully exprefs'd by the deareft 
 Relations and Affe&ions in Na- 
 ture. The Relation of Parents, 
 as 'tis moft deeply implanted in 
 Nature, fo it implies the moft 
 cordial, ftrong and tender Af- 
 fection. But as God is infinite- 
 ly greater and better than earth- 
 ly Parents ; ib he equally excels 
 them, as in his Abilities, fb in 
 his good Will to his Children. 
 Our Saviour direfts us, Call no 
 Man Father upon Earth, for one 
 is your Father, which is in Hea- 
 ven : The Title and Love of a 
 Father is peculiar to him. Our 
 Saviour argues, If you that are 
 evi^ know how to give good things 
 to your Children, how much more 
 Jhallyour heavenly Father to thofe 
 
 that 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 5 
 
 that ask him ? The Inference is 
 ftrong, not only from the Di- 
 vine Authority of the Speaker, 
 but from the native Perfpicuity 
 of the Things : for the Love 
 of an earthly Father is but an 
 Infufion into his Breaft from the 
 heavenly Father, and but a faint 
 refemblance of his Love. The 
 Love of a Mother is more ten- 
 der and endearing than of a Fa- 
 ther : Even a fearful Hen will 
 fly upon Death, to preferve its 
 tender Brood from the Devour- 
 er : Yet the Love of God to his 
 Children far excels it. Can a 
 Woman forget her [ticking Child ? 
 What Heart, what Marble is 
 in her Breaft fo incompafiionate 
 and unrelenting, as to negle£t 
 her helplefs Infant ? She may, 
 hut , lakh God, I will never forget 
 f^.TheSeraphims,thofe bright 
 and unperifhing Flames, are but 
 faint and cold, in comparifon 
 
 of 
 
1 6 A FuneraUSermon on 
 
 of God's Love to his Children. 
 'Tis obfervable how the 
 Love of God to them expref- 
 Tes it felf in all the Notions of 
 Propriety and Ptecioufhefs, to 
 make it more fenfible to us. 
 Exod. 19. They are ftiled his Treafure, his 
 Mai. 3. J eive / Sj the moft precious part 
 Zech.p. i5 f hi s Treafure, the Jewels of 
 his Crown, that are the richeft 
 Jewels. Now will he throw a~ 
 way his Treafure, or fuffer the 
 cruel Enemy to rob him of his 
 Jewels? Will he .riot take them 
 into his fafe Cuftody ? 'Tis to 
 be obferved, that the Efteem 
 and Affe£tion of God principal- 
 ly refpefts the Souls of his Chil- 
 dren: Their Souls have an ori- 
 ginal Affinity with him in their 
 Subftance as Spirits : and being 
 born again of the Spirit, they 
 are Spirit in their Divine Qua- 
 lities & Endowments, and more 
 endear'd to him than by their 
 
 firft 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 7 
 
 firft Alliance.His tender Care to 
 preferve them, will be correfpon- 
 dent to his Valuation and Love. 
 Moreover , the Condition 
 of departing Souls affords ano- 
 ther Argument of reliance up- 
 on his Love ; for they leave 
 this vifible World, with all their 
 Supports and Comforts ', they 
 are ftripp'd of all fenfible Secu- 
 rities : And will he leave them 
 fatherlefs in fuch a forlorn and 
 defblate State ? His Love is ex^ 
 prefs'd by Mercy, Compaffion^ 
 Pity, melting Affections, that 
 are moft tenderly moved when 
 the beloved Objed is in Diftrels. 
 Our Saviour propounds an Ar- 
 gument for dependance upon 
 the delivering Love of God, 
 from the Exigence of his Peo- 
 ple ; Shall not God deliver his own 
 Elect , theDefignationofLove, 
 who cry day and night to him ? He 
 will do it ffeedily. Love is ne- 
 C ver 
 
1 8 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 ver more ardent and aftive than 
 in times of Diftrefs. Therefore 
 when his dying Children are 
 deprived of alt their Hopes and 
 dependance upon Creatures,and 
 fly to him for Prote&ion and Re- 
 lief, will he not hear their 
 mournful Requefts, and grant 
 their fainting Defires ? When 
 their earthly Tabernacles are fo 
 ruinous, that they are forcM to 
 diflodg, will the Love of a Hea- 
 venly Father fuffer their naked 
 Souls to wander in the vaft Re- 
 gions of the other World, feeking 
 Reft, and finding none ? Certain- 
 ly he will bring them into his 
 reviving Prefence. If Divine 
 Love be fo condefcending, that 
 Jfa. 57. the high and lofty One that inha- 
 bits Eternity, dwells with the hum- 
 ble and contrite Spirit, to revive 
 the Spirit of the Humble, when 
 they are confin'd to our lowly 
 liarth, we may be affur'd, when 
 
 that 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 9 
 
 that Spirit fhall be devefted of 
 Flefh,he will bring it to Heaven 
 the Temple of his Glory, to be 
 with him forever. 'Tis great- 
 er Love for a King to Jay a- 
 fide his State, and dwell in a 
 mean Cottage with his Favou- 
 rite, than to receive him into 
 his Palace, and communicate to 
 him of his rich Abundance. 
 'Tis another moft comfortable 
 Consideration, that the Love of 
 God is unvariable towards his 
 Children : His Love is the fble 
 moving Caufe of our filial Re- 
 lation to him : Of his own Will James. 
 he begat us by the Word of Truth. 
 His Soveraign free Love was the 
 Principle of his ele&ing any to 
 the Dignity of being his Chil- 
 dren : This Love is as unchange- 
 able as free ; and Election that 
 proceeds from it,is as unchange- 
 able as his Love. What can in- 
 duce him to alter his Affe&ion 
 C 2 to- 
 
20 A hmer ill-Sermon on 
 
 towards them ? For fuch is the 
 perfe&ion of his Knowledg, that 
 he can never be furprized by a 
 fudden new Event, that may 
 caufe a change in his Mind and 
 Will. He forefaw all the Sins 
 of his People, with their provo- 
 king Aggravations. Now if the 
 forefight of them did not hinder 
 his eleftingLove in its rife, can 
 they fruftrate its end,the bring- 
 ing of them to Glory ? 
 
 Befides, we may argue from 
 what his Love has done for his 
 Children, to what he will do : 
 He has given his Son and Spirit 
 to them, the fureft Signs of his 
 Love, if we confider the unva- 
 luable Excellence of the Gifts, 
 and the Defign of the Giver. 
 
 The Son of God is the moft ex- 
 cellent Gift of his Love, as un- 
 deferved, as he was undefired : 
 And from hence the Apoftle ar- 
 gues, He that gave his Son for 
 
 m 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 1 
 
 us ally how much more rvill he with 
 him give us all things f BlefTed 
 God ! What richer Evidence, 
 and more convincing Demon- 
 stration can there be of thy 
 Love ? Will he not with him give 
 us all things f The Inference is 
 direQ: and conclu five, with re- 
 fpeft to temporal and eternal 
 Things. He will give to his 
 Children in the prefent World, 
 whatever his Wifclom, in con- 
 junction with his Love, fees 
 good for them. To illuftrate 
 this by a low and familiar In- 
 ftance ; If a Mother beftows 
 upon her Daughter rich Jewels 
 for her Marriage-Ornaments, 
 will fhe deny her Pins to drefs 
 her ? And we may as ftrongly 
 argue, that with his Son he will 
 give us eternal Bleflings. Will 
 he give us the Tree of Life, and 
 not permit us to eat of theFruit 
 of it ? What was the defign of 
 Cj his 
 
11 
 
 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 his Counfel and Compaffion, in 
 giving his Son to be a Sacrifice 
 for us, but to reftore us to his 
 Favour? The Apoftle reafons 
 ftrongly, If when we were Ene- 
 mies, we were reconciled to God 
 by the Death of his Son, much 
 wore being reconciled, wejhallbe 
 faved by his Life. He has paid 
 our Ranfom, and reversed the 
 Sentence of Condemnation a- 
 gainft us ; and it invincibly fol- 
 lows, he can more eafilyaccom- 
 plifh our Happincfs in Heaven. 
 If Love juftify a Sinner, it will 
 glorify a Saint. 
 
 And as the Gift of the Son, 
 fo the moft precious Gift of the 
 Spirit to God's Children, to 
 make them holy and heavenly, 
 is the moft certain fign of his 
 Love to them. The Apoftle 
 in the fulleft expreffion fpeaks 
 of it ; God who is rich in Mercy > 
 for his great Love wherewith he 
 
 hits 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 2$ 
 
 has loved us, even when we were 
 dead in Sins, quickned us together 
 with Chrift : By Grace ye are fa- 
 ved. Salification istheefMt 
 of rich Mercy, great Love> and 
 faving Grace. The Children of 
 God are feaPd by the Holy Spi- 
 rit to the Day of Redemption : 
 that Seal diftinguifhes them 
 from the obftinate and polluted 
 World, and ratifies the convey- 
 ance of eternal Life to them. 
 The Spirit is ftiled the Earnejl 
 of the Inheritance. His dwelling 
 in the Saints by his fanftifying 
 and comforting Operations, is 
 an Earned of their dwelling 
 with God in his Sanftuary a- 
 bove. From hence the Apoftle 
 propounds a ftrong Argument 
 to allure the Saints, upon their 
 leaving this World, of their re- 
 ception into Heaven ; Now he 
 that hath wrought us for the J elf- 
 fame thing, is God j and the 
 C 4 Al- 
 
24 A Funeral- Sermon on 
 
 Almighty always obtains his 
 End : who hath alfo given us the 
 earneft of his Sprit. Holinefs 
 is the Morning-Star of the great 
 Day ; Grace is the Preparative 
 and Affurance of Glory : For al- 
 tho the Saints are in themfelves 
 mutable, and while there re- 
 mains Corruption within, and 
 a tempting World without, are 
 liable to falling away, yet the 
 free and powerful Love of God 
 that revived them when dead, 
 will preferve them living ; that 
 ^hich raifed them from the 
 Grave, will prevent their relap- 
 fing into it. The Gifts of God 
 are without Repentance. How 
 triumphantly does the Apoftle 
 Rom. 8. exprefs his Confidence, Who {hall 
 feparate us from the Love of God ? 
 Shall Tribulation, or Diftrefi, or 
 Perfection, or Famine, Gr Naked- 
 nefs, or Peril, or Sword ? Theft 
 are the mod powerful Terrors 
 
 that 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 25 
 
 that the perverfe World, in com- 
 bination with the Devil, can 
 make ufe of to conftrain us to 
 defert the Service of God ; but 
 they are vain. Nay, in all thefe 
 things we are more than Conque- 
 rors, through him that loved, us : 
 Tor I am perj r waded, that neither 
 Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor 
 Principalities, nor Powers, nor 
 Things prefent, nor Things to 
 come, nor Height, nor Depths 
 nor any other Creature, /ball be 
 able to feparate us from the Love 
 of God, that is in Chrifl Jefus 
 our Lord. This blefled Affu- 
 rance of the Apoftle is not rais'd 
 from his extraordinary Privile- 
 ges, not from the apparition of 
 Angels to him, nor his rapture 
 to Paradife, nor fpecial Revela- 
 tions, but from the Love of God 
 in Chrifl: Jefus our Lord, that 
 everlaftingly embraces all his 
 Children. Briefly, in that God 
 
 has 
 
7.6 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 has given his Son to die for us, 
 and his Spirit to live in us, his 
 Son to purchafe and prepare 
 Heaven for us, his Spirit to pre- 
 pare us for Heaven, a dying 
 Saint may with bleffed Tran- 
 quillity commend his Soul into 
 God's Hands. 
 
 I have more particularly con- 
 fidered the Fatherly Love of 
 God, what a ftrong Security it 
 affords to his Children, that he 
 will never leave them, in that 
 no Point requires and deferves 
 more Confirmation, and weight 
 of Argument toprefs it down 
 into our diftruftful Hearts. 
 
 2. The Divine Truth affords 
 a ftrong Security to the Children 
 of God, to commend their Souls 
 to him at lafh Truth is an At- 
 tribute as effential and dear to 
 God as any of his Perfe&ions. 
 And in the Accomplifhment of 
 pur Salvation, he ordered all 
 
 things 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 27 
 
 things becoming to his Wif- 
 dom,that is for the illuftration of 
 all his principal Attributes, and 
 accordingly defign'd the Glory 
 of his Truth equally with the 
 Honour of his Mercy. Thus he 
 declares to his chofen People, 
 K^now therefore that the Lord thy Dcuc. 7. 9; 
 God y he is God, the faithful God, 
 •which keepeth Covenant and Mer- 
 cy, with them that love him^ and 
 keep his Commandments. The 
 Attribute that is fet next to the 
 Deity, as moft lacred, is the 
 faithful God ; and that further 
 exprefs'd, keeping Coven ant and 
 Mercy ; for he delights in ful- 
 filling his Promiles, as in the 
 freeft A£ts of Mercy. The 
 Pfalmift breaks forth with the 
 affeftionate Praifes of thefe At- 
 tributes., I will worjhip towards Pfal.138.2 
 thy holy Temple, and praife thy 
 Name for thy loving Kjndnefs 
 and thy Truth : for thou haft mag- 
 
 nified 
 
2 8 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 -o« 
 
 nifled thy Word above all thy 
 Name. His Word here imme- 
 diately fignifies his Promife, that 
 has its rife from his loving Kind- 
 nefs, and its performance from 
 his Truth. This he magnifies 
 both with refpeQ: to the matter 
 of his Promifes that are exceed- 
 ing great and precious, and the 
 fulfilling them above all that 
 we can ask or think. God can- 
 not repent or lie ; his Counfels 
 are unretra£table, from the In> 
 mutability of his Nature ; his 
 Promifes are infallible, from his 
 Fidelity : they areas unchanged 
 Jer.$ r.g 5. a bJ e as the Sun and Stars in their 
 appointed Courfes ; nay, more 
 liable than the Centre : for Hea- 
 ven and Earth {ball fafs away, 
 but not a tittle of his Promifes, 
 and our Hopes be unfulfilled. If 
 the Frame of Nature were di£ 
 fblved, it would be no lofs to 
 God,who is glorious and bleffed 
 
 in 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 29 
 
 in his own Perfections : but if 
 his Promifes fail, the Honour of 
 his Truth would be impaired 
 and blemifh'd. The Pfalmiff: 
 faith, Tbofe that know thy Name, 
 mil trufl in thee : Thofe who 
 know the Creature, its Levity, 
 Mutability and Mortality, will 
 be difcourag'd from trufting in 
 it ; but thole who know the e- 
 ternal Conftancy of God in his 
 Nature and Promifes, will fe- 
 eurely rely upon him. 
 
 Now the Promifes, the Decla- 
 rations of God's Love, without 
 which we cannot haveany fblid 
 and fuftairiing Hope in our 
 Death, affure us of God's recei- 
 ving the feparate Spirits of his 
 Children. There was a conftant 
 clearnefs, tho not in that degree 
 of Light as fincethe appearance 
 of Chrift, of the Happinefs of 
 the departed Saints. Dying jk- 
 cob breaks forth with a lively 
 
 Hope, 
 
3 o A FuneraUSermon on 
 
 Gen. 49. Hope, Lord, I have waited for 
 thy Salvation. Job fays, Tho he 
 kill me 7 yet mil I truft in him ; 
 that is, for his Almighty Mercy 
 in the next State. The Pfal- 
 mili exprefles his Confidence, 
 
 Pfal.73.24 Thou wilt guide me by thy Coun- 
 /el, and receive me into thy Glory. 
 After the fafe condu&ing him 
 through a World of Troubles 
 and Temptations, he would 
 bring him to Heaven, a Place 
 of equal Purity and Glory. Da- 
 vid when he was in preffing Pe- 
 
 ttkl.31.5. ril, addreffes to God, Into thy 
 Hands I commend my Spirit, to 
 be preferved as a precious De- 
 pofitum ; thou hafl redeemed me> 
 Lord God of Truth. His Af- 
 furance is built on God's Right 
 and Title to him, Thou haft re- 
 deemed me, and his everlafting 
 Fidelity. The Apoftle fpeaks 
 
 aCor.5.1. with full affurance, We know 
 that if our earthly Houfe of this 
 
 T*ber- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 
 
 3 
 
 Tabernacle be diffolved, we have a 
 Building of God eternal in the 
 Heavens. And, we are confident, 
 I fay y rather to be abfent from the 
 Body, and prefent with the Lord. 
 St. Peter encourages Chriftians 
 when fur rounded with Death, 
 to commit their Souls to him : l Pet «4- *« 
 Wherefore let them that fuffer ac- 
 cording to the Will of God, com- 
 mit the keeping of their Souls to 
 him in wel-doing, as unto a faith- 
 ful Creator. He encourageth 
 them to encounter Death in its 
 moll: formidable Pomp, by con- 
 fidering their Souls (hall be lafe 
 for ever, upon the account of 
 God's Right and Intereft in 
 them, and his Fidelity : he has 
 an original Right in them by 
 the firft Creation, as they are 
 intelleftual immortal Spirits in 
 their Nature, but a nearer and 
 more efpecial Right by a new 
 and nobler Creation,as they are 
 
 re- 
 
3 2 A FuneraUSermon on 
 
 renewed Spirits, made lijce to 
 him in his Holinefs, the moft 
 Divine Perfe&ion. The Rela- 
 tion of Creator implies his om- 
 nipotent Love, and the A'ttri* 
 bute of Faithful, his eternal 
 Love declared in his Promifes. 
 There can never be the leaft 
 caufe to charge him with Infin- 
 cerity or Inconftancjv The 
 
 Pfal. 5. favour of God is round about the 
 Righteous as a Shield : And his 
 
 Pfal.89. JEaithfulnefs is round about him, 
 that he is always ready to per- 
 form his Promife to them. They 
 may fafely truft the worth of 
 their Souls, and the weight of 
 Eternity with him, who has 
 laid, he will never leave them y 
 nor for fake them. 
 
 Befides, the Promiie of a Re- 
 ward to the obedient Children 
 of God, is fecur'd not only by 
 his Fidelity, but the declared 
 Equity of his Proceedings in 
 
 his 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 3 5 
 
 ■ 
 
 his final Judgment. 'Tis a Re- 
 gality invefted in the Crown of 
 Heaven to difpenfe Rewards : 
 Whoever comes to God, mujl ^-Hcb.11.5. 
 lieve that he is, and that he is a 
 rewarder of them that diligently 
 feek him. His Being and rewar- 
 ding Bouncy are the Foundati- 
 ons of Religion. 'Tis true, fuch 
 is t]ie Diftance between God 
 and the Creature, and the eter* 
 nal Obligations of it to God, 
 that it can challenge nothing 
 from God, as due to its Merit. 
 Juftice unqualified with Bounty 
 and Clemency, owes nothing to 
 the moft excellent Obedience of 
 the Creature,tho innocent. But 
 fince the Fall, our beft Works 
 are defeftive and defiled, and 
 want Pardon ; and our heavieft 
 Sufferings are but light in the 
 Ballance, againft the exceeding 
 Weight of Glory. But the Apo- 
 ftle tells the Theffalonians, It U 
 D * 
 
34 
 
 A FuneraUSermon on 
 
 a righteom thing with God to re- 
 compenfe Tribulation to them who 
 trouble you : and to you who are 
 troubled, reft with tu. Confider 
 them in the Comparifbn ; 'Tis 
 becoming his governing Juftice 
 to punifh the unrighteous Per- 
 fecutors, and reward his faith- 
 ful Servants who fuffer for his 
 Glory. Now the prefent.Life 
 is the Day for our Work, as our 
 Saviour faith, Imuftdo the Work 
 of him that fent me, while 7 tis cal- 
 led to Day : And at Death, the 
 Spirit returns to God that gave it, 
 in order to Judgment, either fa- 
 tal or favourable, according to 
 the tenor of Mens good Works, 
 and the defert of their bad. The 
 Promife is to them, who by pati- 
 Rom. 2. ent continuance in wel-doing, feek 
 for Glory , and Honour, and Im- 
 mortality ', they {hall obtain eter- 
 nal Life. Our Saviour encoura* 
 ges his differing Servants, Be 
 
 faithr 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 
 
 35 
 
 faithful to the Death, and I will 
 give you the Crown of Life, The 
 compleat Reward is referved to 
 the great Day of univerfal Re- 
 compences, when the Sons of 
 God by Regeneration, fhall be 
 the Sons of a glorious Refurre- 
 ftion. But the righteous Judg 
 will give a prefent Reward at Lu ^e 20* 
 the end of the Day, to all that 
 with unfainting Perfeverance 
 have perform'd his Work. Our 
 Saviour tells us, that all who Mac - 20 «^ 
 wrought in the Vineyard, re- 
 ceiv'd their Rewards in the la ft 
 Hour of the Day : The Parallel 
 is inftruftive, that when the 
 Night of Death comes, the Re- 
 ward will be difpens'd. There 
 is a Law recorded concerning 
 the paying Wages to thofe who 
 were hir'd, that it fhould be in 
 the end of the Day ; that it 
 fhould not be detained all Night Deur. 24. 
 with thee until the Morning. The l •*' 
 D I AHu- 
 
?rf 
 
 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 Allufion is very congruous, that 
 God will fulfil his own Law to 
 his Sons that ferve him. The 
 Reward fhall not abide with 
 him the long dark Interval, the 
 Night, wherein their Bodies 
 fleep in the Grave, till the Mor- 
 ning of the Refurre&ion. Our 
 Saviour promifed the dying Pe- 
 nitent, To day /halt thou be with 
 me in Paradife. The End of our 
 Faith is immediately attended 
 with the Salvation of the Soul : 
 The Labour of Faith being fi- 
 nifh'd,is produftive of the beati- 
 fick Vifion in the State of Light 
 and Glory. The Sum is,That the 
 Children of God, who have by 
 conftantConverlation fincerely 
 endeavoured to pleafe and glo- 
 rify him, may with an entire 
 Refignation commit their Souls 
 to his Hands, as if an Angel 
 were fent from Heaven to them 
 in their dying Agonies, with 
 
 the 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 37 
 
 the comfortable Meflage, that 
 they fhould prefently be with 
 God. 
 
 j. The Divine Power,in con- 
 junction with Love and Truth, 
 is the Foundation of our fecure 
 dependance upon God in our 
 laft Hours. This Confideration 
 is abfolutely neceffary for our 
 fure Truft : For Love without 
 Power is ineffeftual, and Power 
 without Love of no comfortable 
 Advantage to us. The Apoftle 
 gives this reafbn of his chearful 
 and couragious Sufferings in the 
 Service of God, For I know in 
 whom I have believed, and am 2 Tim. i, 
 perfrvaded he is able to keep what I 
 have committed to him, till that 
 Day. His Faith refpe&ed the 
 Promiles of God concerning his 
 Salvation, which are infinitely 
 fure, the Divine Power being 
 alfufficient to fulfil them. The 
 precious Depofitum that is com- 
 D j mined 
 
3 8 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 mitted to his dear Care, he can 
 and will preferve inviolate. The 
 Father of fincere Believers, is 
 the Lord of Heaven and Earth, 
 who by his Word, without the 
 leaft ftrain of his Power, made 
 the World, and preferves it 
 from falling into Confufion. 
 ? Tis the Eflencc of Faith, toaf- 
 fure us of God's Almighty Mer- 
 cy to all that have the true Cha- 
 racters of his Children, that are 
 qualified for his Salvation. Our 
 Redeemer joins the two Relati- 
 ons of our Father and our God ; 
 the gracious and the glorious 
 Relation are infeparable. Now 
 the Love of our heavenly Fa- 
 ther engages the Power of our 
 God, that we fha'll want no- 
 thing to fecure our Happinefs, 
 that is within theobjeel of Om- 
 nipotence. 
 
 I fhall infift no further upon 
 the Consideration of the Divine 
 
 Power, 
 
M'. Richard Baxter. 39 
 
 Power, becaufe it will return 
 under fbme of the following 
 Heads of Difcourfe. 
 
 II. The Bleffednefs of this 
 Privilege is to be unfolded. This 
 will appear by confidering, 
 
 Firfty What is the Depofi- 
 tum, the Thing that is intrud- 
 ed in God's Hands. 
 
 Secondly, What is implied 
 in his receiving of it. 
 
 In anfwer to the firft ; 'Tis 
 the Soul, the more excellent and 
 immortal Part of Man, that is 
 commended toGod's keeping. 
 
 1. 'Tis our more excellent 
 Part in its Nature and Capacity. 
 Man is a compounded Crea- 
 ture, of a Body and a Soul : the 
 Body in its Original and Re- 
 fblution is Earth ; the Soul is 
 of a divine Defcent, a fpiritual 
 Subftance, and in the Nobility 
 and Perfections of its Nature, 
 D 4 but 
 
40 
 
 A Funeral- Sermon on 
 
 but a little lower than the Angels: 
 'tis the vile Body, but the preci- 
 ous Soul. 
 
 In its Capacity it incompara- 
 bly excels the Body; for the Bo- 
 dy lives & moves in the low Re- 
 gion of theSenies, that are com- 
 mon with the Worms of the 
 Earth ; but the Soul in its Un- 
 derftanding and Defires,is capa- 
 ble of Communion with the 
 bleffed God,of Grace and Glory. 
 From hence it is, that the whole 
 World can't make one Man hap- 
 py ; for the Ingredients of true 
 and compleat Happineft are the 
 Perfection and Satisfaction of 
 the Soul. The Apoftle tells us, 
 The left U bleffed of the greater. 
 Can the World bring Perfetti- 
 cn to Man, that is fo incompa- 
 rably fhort of his [mperfe&ion? 
 Our Saviour affures us, the Gain 
 cf the whole World cannot re- 
 compenfe the J^ofs of one SouL 
 
 There 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 41 
 
 There is a vaft Circuit in our 
 Defires, and all the Lines ter- 
 minate in the Centre of Bleffed- 
 nefs. Can the World give fin- 
 cere Satisfa&ion to them ? So- 
 lomon who was as rich and high 
 as the World could make him, 
 has left an everlafting Teftimo* 
 ny of the Vanity of tranfient 
 Things, from his experimental 
 Obfervation, and the Direction 
 of the Holy Spirit : So he be- 
 gins and ends his Sermon, V*r &<*& 1, 
 nity of Vanities, all is Vanity ; fo L & I2,8, 
 vain and vexing, that we fhall 
 not only be weary of them, but 
 of this Life, wherein we ufeEcd.1.17. 
 them. Can the Creature make 
 us happy, when their Empti- 
 nefs, and Anguifh annex'd to it, 
 makes our Lives milerable ? 
 The World cannot fatisfy our 
 narrow Senfes : The Eye is not 
 fat iifed with feeing , nor the Ear 
 with hearing , much lefs the in6- 
 
 nite 
 
41 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 cite Defires of our fupreme Fa- 
 culties. Thole who are now in- 
 chanted with its Allurements, 
 within a little while will fee 
 through its falfe Colours. As 
 when one awakes, all the plea- 
 ftnt Scenes of Fancy in his 
 Dream vanifh ; fb when the 
 Soul is awakened in the End of 
 Life, the World and the Lufts 
 thereof pafs array, and the re- 
 membrance of theni. 
 
 I fhali add further ; What 
 dearer Evidence can we have of 
 the worth of the Soul, than from 
 God's j£fteem,the Creator of it? 
 Now when God forefaw the 
 Revoltme of our firfl: Parent, 
 that brought him under a dou- 
 ble Death in one Sentence, tem- 
 poral and eternal, and that all 
 Mankind was defperately loft 
 in him, then his companionate 
 Counfels were concerning his 
 Recovery : His Love and Wif- 
 
 dom 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 45 
 
 «. ■ ^~ , "^ — ~" 
 
 donf accorded to contrive the 
 Means to accomplifh our Re- 
 demption, by the Death of his 
 incarnate Son : We are not re- 1 Pet « *« 
 deemed with Silver and Gold, but 
 faith the precious Blood of Chrift, 
 as a Lamb without fpot and bte- 
 mijb. Of what value is a Soul 
 in God's account, that he bought 
 with his own Son's Blood, the 
 moft facred Treaftre of Hea- 
 ven ? We may fay for the Ho- 
 nour of our Redeemer and Our O animal 
 own, that which the Angels ^Jes. 
 cannot, we were fb valued by Aug. in 
 God himfelf, that his Son be- pfaLl0 ^ 
 came Man, and died on the 
 Crofs for the Salvation of our 
 Souls. I fhall only mention a- 
 nother Evidence and EfFeft of 
 Gad's valuation of our Souls, 
 that is, the eternal Weight of 
 Glory, which exceeds all the 
 Thoughts of our Minds, and 
 Defires of our Hearts. What 
 
 are 
 
44 d Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 are all the Kingdoms and Plea- 
 lures of the World, in compa- 
 nion of that BlefTednefs God 
 has prepared for thofe who love 
 him? Now the Soul that is in- 
 eftimably precious, and fhould 
 be raoft dear to us, is fecured 
 from Danger, when received by 
 God's Hands. 
 
 2. The Soul is our immortal 
 Part. The Body is compounded 
 of jarring Principles, frail and 
 mortal : A Cafualty or Sicknels 
 diffolves the vital Union, and 
 it falls to the Duft. But the 
 Soul is a Spirit by Nature, and 
 immortal by its inherent Pro- 
 perty, Its fpiritual Operations 
 performed without the miniftry 
 of the Senfes, (the Eye of the 
 Mind contemplates its Objefts, 
 when the Eyes of the Body are 
 clos'd) demonftrate its fpiritual 
 Nature : for the Being is the 
 Root of its working, and confe- 
 
 quently 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 45 
 
 quently that it exifts indepen- 
 dently upon the Body : But of 
 this we have the cleared affu- 
 rance in the Scripture. This is 
 another demonftration that pre- 
 fent Things cannot make us 
 happy, for they forfake us the 
 firft itep we take into the nexc 
 World, and then theSoul enters 
 into Happinefs or Mifery equal- 
 ly eternal. The Immortality 
 of the Soul, and the Immutabi- 
 lity of its State, are infeparable 
 then \ for the prefent Life is the 
 time of our Work, the next is 
 of Recompences according to 
 our Works. If we die in the 
 Lord, the Conlequence is infal- 
 lible, we (hall live with him for 
 ever : If we die in our Sins, we 
 fliall not be received by his 
 merciful Hands, but fall into 
 his bottomlefs Difpleafure. And 
 of what concernment is it to 
 have our Souls with God in that 
 
 infinite 
 
4<S A Funeral ^Sermon on 
 
 infinite and incomprehenfibl e 
 Duration ? All the Meafures of 
 Time, Days and Weeks,Months 
 and Years, and Ages, are fwal- 
 low'd up in that invifibleDepth, 
 as the Rivers that pour into 
 the Sea , are fwallowed up 
 without any overflowing of 
 its Waters, The Dove that 
 Noah let out of the Ark, as a 
 Spy to difcover whether the 
 Deluge was abated, found not 
 a Place to reft on ; but after ma- 
 ny Circuits in the Air, it re- 
 turned to the Ark. If our 
 Thoughts take wing, and mul- 
 tiply Millions of Millions of 
 Ages, we cannot reft in any 
 Computation,for there remains 
 after all an entire innumerable 
 Eternity. 
 
 Secondly j I will confider more 
 particularly what is contained 
 in this bleffed Privilege : The 
 reception of the Soul into God's 
 
 Hands, 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 47 
 
 Hands, implies three things. 
 
 1. Entire Safety. 
 
 2. Heavenly Felicity. 
 
 5. 'Tis a certain Pledg of the 
 reviving of the Body, and its 
 reunion with the Soul in the 
 State of Glory. 
 
 1 . Entire Safety .After Death 
 the feparate Soul of a true Belie- 
 ver immediately paiTes through 
 the airy and Ethereal Regions 
 to the higheft Heaven,the Tem- 
 ple of God, the native Seat and 
 Element of bleffed Spirits. The 
 Air is poffels'd by Satan with 
 his Confederate Army, who arc 
 Rebels to God, and Enemies to 
 the Souls of Men : he is ftiled 
 the Prince of the Tower of the Ephef. 2. 
 Air : He often raifes Storms 
 andTempefts 5 difchargesThun* 
 der and Lightning, the wofol 
 Eftefts of which are felt in the 
 lower World. The Numbers,, 
 the Strength, and the Malice of 
 
 the 
 
48 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 the evil Angels to the Souls of 
 Men,render them very terrible: 
 We may conjecture at their 
 Number, from what is related 
 Marks, in the Gofpel, that a Lcgio* 
 foffefid one Man. They are 
 faperiour Spirits to Man, and 
 tho ftripp'd of their moral Ex- 
 cellencies, Holinefs, Goodnels 
 and Truth, yet retain their na- 
 tural Power at leaft in great de- 
 grees. Their Malice is un- 
 quenchable. 'Tis faid of the 
 Devil, He goes about like a roar' 
 ing Lion y feeking whom he faay de- 
 vour. All the Joy thole ma- 
 lignant Spirits are capable of, is 
 the involving the Souls of Men 
 in their defperate Calamity. 
 And tho they know their oppo- 
 fing God will increale their 
 Guilt and Torment, yet their 
 Diligence is equal to their Ma- 
 lice, to (educe, pervert and ruin 
 Souls for ever. Now when the 
 
 Saints 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 49 
 
 Saints die, all the Powers of 
 Darknefs would,if poffible, hin- 
 der the afcenfion of their Souls 
 toGod. What David complains 
 of his cruel Enemies is appli- 
 cable in this cafe, Their Souls 
 are among Lions ; and if defi- 
 nite of divine Prefervation, the 
 Danger would be the fame ; as 
 if a little Flock of Lambs were 
 to encounter with a great num- 
 ber of fierce Lions, or fiery Dra- 
 gons. Anger fets an edg upon 
 Power, and makes a Combatant 
 but of equal Strength to over- 
 come How dangerous then 
 would the Condition be of na* 
 ked Souls, opposM by over- 
 matching Enemies, armed with 
 Rage againft them? Howeafily 
 would they hurry them to the 
 Abyfs, the Den of Dragons, the 
 Priion where loft Souls are fe- 
 cur'd to the Day of Judgment ? 
 But all the Potentates of Hell 
 E are 
 
5° 
 
 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 are infinitely inferiour to God : 
 they are reftrain'd and tortur'd 
 by the Chains of his powerful 
 Juftice : a Legion of them could 
 not enter into the Swine with- 
 out his per million, much left 
 can they touch the Apple of hU 
 Eye. That black Prince with 
 all his infernal Hoft cannot in- 
 tercept one naked Soul from ar- 
 riving at theKingdom of Glory. 
 Our Saviour allures us, None is 
 John ic a yi e t0 yl uc ] z t bem out of his Fa- 
 ther's Hands. The Lord Chrift 
 our Head and Leader, having 
 vanquifh'd in his Iaft Battel on 
 the Crofs, Principalities and 
 Powers, made his triumphant 
 Aicenfion to Glory : Thus his 
 Members having overcome 
 their fpiritual Enemies, fhall by 
 the fame Almighty Power be 
 carried through the Dominions 
 of Satan, in the fight of their £- 
 nernksy (tormented with the re- 
 membrance 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 5 1 
 
 membrance of their loftHappi* 
 nefs, and Envy that humane 
 Souls fhould partake of it) to 
 the Place of God's glorious Re- 
 fidence. 
 
 I (hall alfb obferve, that as 
 the Lord is a God of Power, fo 
 he is a God of Order, and ufes 
 fubordinate Means for the ac- 
 complifhment of his Will. Our 
 Saviour has reveaPd, that the 
 Angels tranfport the feparate 
 Souls of the Righteous to Hea- 
 ven : Thofe glorious Spirits, 
 who always behold the Face of ' 
 God, fuch is their exafl: Obedi- 
 ence to him, and perfect Love 
 to his Children, that they dii- 
 dai n not to protect his little ones 
 in this open State. They rejoice Mac.i3.ro 
 at the Conversion of Sinners, at 
 their firft entrance into the Way 
 of Life, and with tender watch- 
 fulnefs encompafs them here, 
 never withdrawing their pro- 
 E 2 tefting 
 
52 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 tefling Pretence, till they bring 
 them to their celeftial Country, 
 and refign their Charge to the 
 Lord of Life. How fafe are the 
 departed Saints, when conveyed 
 through Satan's Territories by 
 the Royal Guard of Angels that 
 excel in (Irength ? 
 
 2. Heavenly Felicity. The 
 receiving of holy Souls into 
 God's Hands, is introdu£live 
 into hisPrefence, which is both 
 a San&uary to lecure us from 
 all Evil, and a Store-houfe to 
 furnifh us with all that is good. 
 The Lord is a Sun and a Shield : 
 he is to intellectual Beings,what 
 the Sun is to fenfitive, commu- 
 nicates Light and Life, and Joy 
 to them. In his Prefence is ful- 
 rfaJ.i^.ii nefs of Joy, at his right Hand 
 are Rivers of Pie a fur e for ever. 
 All that is evil and affli&ing, is 
 abolifh'd : all that is defirable, 
 is conferred upon his Children. 
 
 A 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 5 3 
 
 A glimpfe or refle&ed Ray of 
 his reconciled and favourable 
 Countenance, even in this low- 
 er World, infufes into theHearts 
 of his Children a Joy unjpeaka,- 
 ble and glorious : a tafte of the 
 Divine Goodnefs here, caufes a 
 difrelifh of all the carnal Sweets, 
 the dreggy Delights which na- 
 tural Men fo greedily defire 
 And if the faint Dawn be fb re- 
 viving and comfortable, what is 
 the Brightnefs Qf the full Day ? 
 None can underftand the Hap- 
 pinefs that refults from the full 
 and eternal fight of God's Face, 
 and the fruition of his Love, but 
 thofe who enjoy the Prefence of 
 God in perfeftion. His Good- 
 nefs is truly infinite ; the more 
 the Saints above know it, and 
 enjoy it, the more they efteern 
 it, and delight in it. Hiscom- 
 pleat and communicative Love 
 fatisfies the immenfe Defires of 
 E 3 - that 
 
54 
 
 A Funeral Sermon on 
 
 that innumerable Company of 
 bleffed Spirits that are before his 
 Throne : there is no Envy, no 
 Avarice, no Ambition in that 
 Kingdom, where God is all iz all. 
 
 The Divine Prefence is an e- 
 ver-flowing Fountain of Felici- 
 ty. The continual refle&ion 
 upon this, makes Heaven to be 
 Heaven to the Bleffed : their 
 Security is as valuable as their 
 Felicity : they are above all 
 danger of lofing it. Methinks 
 the belief of this fliould caufe 
 us, as it were with Wings of 
 Fire, with moft ardent Defires 
 to fly to the Bo fom of God, the 
 alone Centre of our Souls,where 
 y/Q fhall reft for ever. 
 
 g, The reception of the Soul 
 into Heaven is a certain Piedg 
 of the Reiurre&ion of the Body, 
 aad its re-union with the Soul 
 in the State of Glory. The Co- 
 venant of God was made with 
 
 the 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 55 
 
 the entire Perlbns of Believers : 
 therefore under the Law the fa- 
 credSealof itwas in their Flefh. 
 To be the God of Promife to 
 them, implies his being a blefc 
 led Rewarder to them. Our Sa- 
 viour filences the Sadduces, who 
 disbelieved the Refurre&ion, 
 from the tenour of God's Cove- 
 nant, lamtheGodof Abraham, 
 and Ilaac, and Jacob, which Ti- 
 tle he was pleafed to retain af- 
 ter their Death ; Now God is not 
 the God of the Dead, but of the 
 Living. The immediate Infe- 
 rence from thence is, that their 
 Souls did actually live in Ble£ 
 fednefs, and that their Bodies, 
 tho dead to Nature, were alive 
 to God with refpeft to his Pro- 
 mife and Power. If we confi- 
 der that the Divine Law binds 
 the outward Man as well as the 
 inward, and that during the 
 time of our Work and Trial 
 E 4 here, 
 
A Funeral- Sermon on 
 
 here, our Service and Sufferings 
 for the Glory of God are from 
 the concurrence of the Soul and 
 Body, it will appear that the 
 Promife of the Reward belongs 
 to both, and that the receiving 
 of the Soul into Heaven, is an 
 .it of our full Redemption, 
 even that of the Body. "Tis 
 true, there is no vifible Diffe- 
 rence between the Bodies of the 
 Saints and of the Wicked here ; 
 they are fick with the fame Difc 
 eafes, and die in the fame man- 
 ner. As 'tis with Trees in deep 
 Winter, when they are covered 
 with Snow, we cannot diftin- 
 guifh which are abfolutely dead 
 and deftin'd to the Ax and Fire, 
 and which retain their Sap, and 
 will be fruitful and flourifhing 
 in the returning Year: fb the 
 dead Bodies of the Godly and 
 Ungodly, to external appear- 
 ance, are alike : But what a vaft 
 
 diffe- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 57 
 
 difference will be between them 
 in the next World ! The Bodies 
 of the Ungodly, inconjundion 
 with their Souls ? fhall be caft 
 into the Lake of Fire ; the Bc- 
 I dies of the Godly refumed by 
 their Souls, fhall enjoy a full 
 and flourishing- Happinefs for 
 ever. 
 
 The Application. 
 
 1. This may inform us of the 
 contrary States into which dy- 
 ing Perfons immediately pafs: 
 The Children of God refign 
 their Spirits to the Hands of 
 their gracious Heavenly Father, 
 but Rebels and Strangers to 
 God, fall into the Hands of& re- 
 venging Judg. Could we fee 
 the attending Spirits that fur- 
 round fick Perfons in their laft 
 Hours, what a wonderful Im- 
 preffion would it make upon 
 us ? A Guard of glorious Angels. 
 
 convey 
 
5 8 A FuneraUSermon on 
 
 convey the departed Saints to 
 the Bofbm of God's Love, and 
 the Kingdom of his Glory. But 
 when the Wicked die, a Legion 
 of Furies fieze upon their ex- 
 pe&ed Prey, and hurry them to ' 
 the infernal Prifbn/rom whence 
 there is no redemption. 
 
 How many Rebels and open 
 Enemies to God are in the Pale 
 of the Chnftian Church? They 
 will loudly repeat, Our Father 
 which art in Heaven^ notwith- 
 ftanding the impudent and pal- 
 pable Atheifm of their Lives : 
 they live as if they were inde- 
 pendent, and not accountable 
 to him who will judg the World 
 mtJrovt rejpecl of Perfons. The 
 more ftrict his Commands are, 
 the Conrempt of them is more 
 vifible. Our Saviour's Prohibi- 
 tion is peremptory, I fay unto 
 you y Swear not at all : but how 
 many make no more conference 
 
 * of 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. jp 
 
 of Swearing than they do of 
 Speaking, and pour forth Oaths 
 of all fafhions and fizes. We 
 are feverely forbid all degrees of 
 Impurity, in theLook,in Words, 
 or in Wifh ; yet how many 
 without refleftion or remorfe, 
 continue in the deepeft Polluti- 
 ons ! We are commanded to 
 live foberiy in this prefent World', 
 yet how many indulge their 
 fwinifh Appetites, and debate 
 themfelves even below theBeafts 
 that perifh. And as the fenfiial 
 Appetites are notoriously pre- 
 dominant in fome, fb the angry 
 Appetite is tyrannous in others, 
 Pride, Wrath, Revenge, poffefs 
 the Breafts of many : How of- 
 ten for a flight, or but reputed 
 Injury, they are lb fir'd with 
 Paffion, that their hot Blood 
 cannot be latisfied without the 
 cold Blood of their Enemies.' 
 In fhort, many live in fuch open 
 
 defi* 
 
60 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 defiance of the Divine Law, as 
 if there were no God to fee and 
 punifh their Sins, or as if they 
 would make a trial whether he 
 will be true to his Threatning, 
 and revenge their bold Impie- 
 ties : They are partly worfe 
 than Brutes ; for having an un- 
 derftanding Faculty, a Princi- 
 ple of Reafon, they fubmit it to 
 Senfe : and partly worfe than 
 Devils ; for as the Devils, they 
 rebel againft God, and yet not, 
 as they, tremble in their Re- 
 bellion. Now when Death is 
 ready with its cold Hands to 
 dole their Eyes, and Confcu 
 ence awakes out of its Slumber, 
 what Horrors feize upon them ! 
 They are ftripp'd of their car- 
 nal Securities, the Creature can- 
 not help them, and the Creator 
 will not. They have been Ene- 
 mies to that Love that made 
 them and preferv'd them, and, 
 
 not- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 61 
 
 notwithstanding their violent 
 Provocations, has fpar'd them 
 fb long. They have rejected 
 that infinitely condefcending 
 and companionate Love, that fo 
 tenderly befeech'd them to be 
 reconciled to God, as if it were 
 his Intereft to fave them. Whi- 
 ther will they fly from their 
 Judg ? What can refcue them 
 from inftant and irrecoverable 
 Mifery ? Can they hope that 
 Mercy will be their Advocate? 
 Their Condemnation is fb righ- 
 teous, that Mercy cannot dif- 
 penfe with it. °Tis a fearful 
 thing to fall into the Hands of 
 the living God, who lives for 
 ever, and can punifh for ever. 
 Who knows the Power of his 
 Wrath ? 'Tis boundlefs beyond 
 all our Thoughts and Time. O 
 take notice of this with Terror, 
 all ye that forget God y left he tear p ^ 
 you in pieces, ami then be none to 
 deliver I Others 
 
6i A FuneraUSermon on 
 
 Others are not fo vifibly dif 
 obedient as notorious Sinners, 
 but are ss really. You may fee 
 their Pi&ure in the difobedient 
 Son, mentioned by our Saviour 
 Matth. 21. i n t he Gofpel, who when his Fa- 
 ther commanded him to go work in 
 the Vineyard, anfwered^ I go, Sir, 
 and went not. 'Tis true, they 
 perform the external part of 
 lome Duties, and abftain from 
 the grofs a£ts of fome Sins, but 
 'tis with an exception and a re- 
 ferve. A Duty that is contrary 
 to their carnal Appetites and 
 Intereft, they will not perform ; 
 a Sin that bribes them with Pro- 
 fit or Pleafure, a temperamental 
 Sin, they will not part with. 
 Now any indulged habitual 
 Luft is not the Spot of God?$ 
 Children, but denominates the 
 Sinner a Child of the Devil : 
 for tho the Saints till they are 
 devefted of frail Flefh, have 
 
 their 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 6 3 
 
 their Allays, and cannot be ex- 
 empt from the relicks of Sin ; 
 yet the Divine Nature commu- 
 nicated to them, is oppofite to 
 every bin, and is an a&ive Prin- 
 ciple to fubdue Sin. 
 
 And from hence S. John tells 
 us, He that is born of God, can- 
 not Jin, that is, deliberately and 
 habitually : Such Sinners,tho in 
 the Hour t)f Death they may 
 addrefs with all the applying 
 Titles, Our Father, and our God, 
 lhall ever be excluded from his 
 facred and faving Protection. 
 
 2. Let us ferioufly confider 
 whether we are of this fpiri- 
 tual Progeny, the Children of 
 God, not only in Title, but in 
 Reality. The Inquiry is of in- 
 finite moment ; for all the Pro- 
 mifes and Priviledges of the 
 Gofpel are annexed to this Scn- 
 fhip: Thisfecuresus from the 
 Wrath to come, and entitles us 
 
 to 
 
64 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 to the eternal Inheritance ; Fear 
 Luke 12. mtt> H tt l e Flock, 'tis your Father s 
 good Pleafure to give you the 
 Kjngdom. This Inquiry is very 
 ufeful to calm and quiet the 
 troubled Saints, and to awaken 
 unregenerate Perfons out of 
 their confident Dream of their 
 good State. Many fincere Chri* 
 ftians are infinitely concerned 
 whether they are the Children 
 of God ; of this their Tears and 
 Fears give abundant evidence. 
 The reafons of their Doubts are 
 partly the Jealoufy of their own 
 Hearts, which are naturally de- 
 ceitful above all things, and moft 
 deceitful to a Man's felf; and 
 partly from the confequence of 
 the Deceit : for knowing the 
 ineftimable value of this Privi- 
 lege, to be the Sons of God, and 
 that if they are deceived in it, 
 they are undone for ever, they 
 are anxioufly thoughtful about 
 
 it. 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 65 
 
 \U But carnal Perfons who are 
 nor acquainted with the Hypo- 
 crify of their Hearts, nor duly 
 understand the excellence of the 
 Privilege, eafily believe what 
 they coldly defire. And the 
 great deceiver of Souls is equal- 
 ly fubtile to varnifh what is evil 
 with the falfe colours of Good, 
 and to conceal what is good un- 
 der the appearance of Evih 
 From hence it is, that many 
 tender-fpirited Christians are 
 timorous, and full of unquiet 
 Agitations all their Lives : and 
 many who have but a fhew and 
 fair pretence of Religion, are 
 undifturb'd and hopeful, till at 
 laft they fall from their fuppo-* 
 fed Heaven and high Hopes, in- 
 to the Abyfs of Mifery* 
 
 This Trial will be molt clear 
 
 and convincingly reprefenting 
 
 from Scripture che infeparable 
 
 Properties and Characters of the 
 
 F ChiU 
 
66 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 Children of God, that diftin- 
 guifh them from all that are in 
 the State of unrenewed Nature* 
 The Apoftle tells fincere Chri- 
 ftians, The Spirit it felf witnef- 
 fes with our Spirits, that we are 
 the Children of God. Here is a 
 . Confentand Agreementofthofe 
 WitnefTes, in whom are all that 
 is requifite to give value to their 
 Teftimony. For the Spirit of 
 God,fuch is his unerring Know- 
 led g, who fe arches the deep things 
 of God, and fuch is the abso- 
 lute Sanftity of his Nature, that 
 he can neither deceive nor be 
 deceived, fo that his Teftimony 
 is infinitely fine, and of more 
 worth than the concurrent Te- 
 ftimony of Heaven and Earth, 
 of Angels and Men. The other 
 Witnefs is the renewed Confer- 
 ence, that is acquainted with 
 the Aims and Afreftions of the 
 Heart, as the Apoftle faith, 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 67 
 
 Who knows the things of a Man> 
 fave the Spirit of a, Man f This 
 Faculty refle&s upon our Ani- 
 ons, and the Principles of them : 
 to this Faculty is referred the 
 decifion of our fpiritual State ; 
 If our Hearts condemn us not of l J ohn 3 # 
 any allowed Sin, then have we 
 Peace towards God. From the 
 confent and agreement of thefe 
 Witnefles, there is a bteiTed Af- 
 furance of our Evangelical Son- 
 fhip, that overcomes all our 
 Fears. Now this Teftimony 
 is rational and argumentative, 
 from the difcovery of thofe 
 Graces that conftitute a Perfbn 
 the Child of God. I will make 
 the Inquiry concerning the 
 Grace of Faith and of Love, 
 which are the vital Bands of our 
 Union with Chrift, the princi- 
 pal Fruits of the fan&ifying 
 Spirit, and the Symptoms of 
 Salvation. 
 
 F 2 (1.) 
 
68 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 (i.) The Grace of Faith is ex- 
 Joh.i. 12. p re fs'd in Scripture by receiving 
 ofChrifl : this anfwers to God's 
 offer of him to our acceptance in 
 the Gofpel. It receives him en- 
 tirely in his Perlbn and Natures, 
 as the incarnate Son of God ; 
 and in his Office, as a Prince 
 Ads $. 3 1 . ant } Saviour y to give Repentance 
 and remifjion of Sws* This re- 
 ceiving Chrift implies an Aft 
 of the Underftanding and the 
 Will ; the Underftanding af- 
 fents to the Truth of the Di- 
 vine Revelation, that Chrift 
 crucified is an alfufficient Savi- 
 our ; and the Will clofes with 
 the Terms of ir, that he will 
 fave to the uttermoB all that obey 
 him : From hence k follows, 
 that reliance upon him, and a 
 finqere refolution to obey him, 
 are neceffarily included in fa- 
 ving Faith. This Scripture- 
 Account diftinguifhes between 
 
 that 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 69 
 
 that fubftantial Faith that is 
 proper to the ele£t Children of 
 God, and the Shadow of it in 
 the Unregenerate ; the one is 
 the intimate and aftive Princi- 
 ple of Obedience, the other is 
 a dead Affent without Efficacy, 
 a mere Carcafs and Counterfeit 
 of Faith. A fincere Believer 
 as fervently defines to befaved 
 =from the Dominion and Pollu- 
 tion of his Sins, as from the 
 Guilt and deadly Malignity : a 
 carnal Man defires an Intereft 
 in Chrift as a Saviour, that he 
 may fecurely enjoy hisLufts. 
 
 The crafty and curfed Ser- 
 pent deceives Men to their ru- 
 ine, by citing Scripture, and 
 misapplying it. The Pro mile 
 is fure, Whoever believes, Jha/i 
 be faved ; and he eafily per- 
 fwades them they are Belie- 
 vers. 'Tis ftrange to aftonifh- 
 ment, that Men who have Rea- 
 F j fori 
 
70 
 
 A Funeral* Sermon on 
 
 fon and Underftanding, fhould 
 prefume in a high degree of 
 the prefent Favour of God, and 
 their future Happinefs, as if 
 they were his dear Children, 
 when their Enmity againft his 
 holy Name and Will is evident 
 in their iVftions. 
 
 We can never have too firm a 
 dependance on God's Promife, 
 when we are qualified for that 
 Dependance. Come out from a- 
 2 Cor. 6. mong them, and be ye feparate, 
 I7> l faith the Lord \ and touch not 
 the unclean thin%, and I mil re- 
 ceive youy and will be a Father to 
 you, faith the Lord Almighty. 
 Faith that purifies the Heart 
 and Converfation, invefts us 
 with this blefTed Privilege, and 
 all the faving Mercies annex'd 
 to it. 
 
 (2.) From the fpiritual Re- 
 lation between God and Belie* 
 vers, there naturally and necef- 
 
 larily 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 7 1 
 
 farily refults a fincere, dutiful, 
 child-like Love to him, corre- 
 fpondent to his beneficent and 
 fatherly Love to them: This 
 God indifpenfably requires, and 
 fpecially delights in ; Thou lo- 
 west Truth in the inward Parts. P&1- $1. 
 Filial Obedience is infeparable 
 from filial Love in its Reality : 
 For this is the Love of God, that iJoh.$ s 3, 
 we keep his Commandments. Our 
 Saviour diftinguifhes between 
 fincere Lovers of him, and pre- 
 tended, that they who love him^ 
 keep his Commandments ; but J ohn *4- 
 they who love him not, keep not 23> ?4 ' 
 his Commandments. 
 
 The Obedience that fprings 
 from Love to God, is uniform, 
 refpe&s all his Commands : for 
 the two filial Affe&ions, an ar- 
 dent Defire to pleafe God in all 
 things, and an ingenuous Fear 
 of difpleafinghim in any thing, 
 are infeparably joined with 
 F 4 our 
 
7% 
 
 A Funeral Sermon on 
 
 pur Love to him. 
 
 The Obedience that proceeds 
 from Love, is free and volunta- 
 ry, from Inclination as well as 
 Duty. How pafllonately does 
 the holy Pfalmift exprefs his 
 Affe&ion, how I love thy Law ! 
 In the Covenant of Grace, God 
 Heb.8. io. promifes to write his Law in the 
 Hearts of his Children ; not on- 
 ly in their Minds and Memo- 
 ries, but to endear it to their 
 Affe&ions. There is much dif- 
 ference between fervile and 
 conftrain'd Obedience, and filN 
 al chofen Obedience, as between 
 the Morion of a living Man 
 from the Soul,the inward Spring 
 of Life, and the Motion of an 
 Image or Statue from forcible 
 Weights and Wheels. 
 
 From filial Love proceeds 
 godly Sorrow, if at any time 
 by Carelefnefs and Surprize, or 
 go Over-po\vering Temptati* 
 
 en, 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 7 } 
 
 on, his Children do what is of- 
 fenfive and odious in his fight. 
 When they confider their unkind 
 and unthankful Returns for 
 his Mercies, they look to their 
 Heavenly Father with Grief 
 and Shame, and down upon 
 themfelves with Abhorrence 
 and Indignation : They are 
 wounded with the fting of that 
 Expoftulation, Do ye thus re- 
 quite the Lord, foolijb People Dew. 326 
 and umvife ? Is he not thy Father 
 who bought thee ? 
 
 From filial Love proceeds a 
 Zeal for his Glory ; If 1 be a fa- 
 ther, where is my Honour . ? A 
 Child of God is dearly concer- 
 ned that his Name be reveren- 
 ced and magnified, his Laws 
 be obferved, his Worfhip main- 
 tained, that his Intereft be ad- 
 vanced in the World. He has 
 a burning Zeal againft Sin and Pfil 6$ 
 prefumptuous Sinners. The 
 
 Pro- 
 
74 4. FuneraUSermon on 
 
 Prophet Elijah (ays, 1 have been 
 jealous for the Lord of Hofts : 
 for the Children of Ifrael have 
 forfaken thy Covenant, and thrown 
 down thine Altars. Thofe who 
 with an indifferent Eye fee the 
 Caufe, the Truth, the Intereft 
 of God deprefs'd in the World, 
 do renounce the Title of his 
 Children. 
 
 From the Relation to God as 
 his Sons, proceeds a fincere fer- 
 vent Love to all the Saints. St. 
 *Joh.$. i- John infers, Every one that lo- 
 veth him that begat ■, loves him 
 that is begotten. Grace is not 
 lefs powerful in producing cor- 
 dial mutual Affections between 
 the Children of the lame Hea- 
 venly Father, than the fubordi- 
 nate Endearments of Nature. 
 Notwithftanding the civil Di- 
 ftin£Hon between them, lome 
 high and rich, others mean and 
 poor, yet there is a Ipiritual 
 
 Equa- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 75 
 
 Equality ; the loweft Saints are 
 
 Princes of the Blood-Royal of 
 
 Heaven. To him that ha* wajhed 
 
 us from our Sins in his Bloody and Revel. 1. 
 
 made m Kjngs and Priefis to God, 
 
 be Glory for ever. 
 
 The filial Relation to God in- 
 clines and encourages all fincere 
 , Chriftians to refign themfelves, 
 even in their moft afflifted Con- 
 dition, to the Wifdom and Will 
 of God. Our Saviour meekly 
 yielded up himfelf to his cruel 
 Enemies, upon this Confidera- 
 tion, The Cup which my Vather Joh.i8.ti 
 has given me, {hall I not drink 
 it ? The Saints in imitation of 
 Chrift, and upon the fame 
 Ground, entirely refign them- 
 felves to the Divine Difpofal ; 
 for their Heavenly Father loves 
 them better than they can love 
 themfelves. 
 
 Finally, The filial Relation 
 to God is productive as of live* 
 
7 6 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 ly Hopes, fo of ardent Defires 
 to be with him. Love makes 
 them to efteem Communion 
 with him here in his holy Ordi- 
 nances, as the Joy of their 
 Lives. The Pfalmiit when ba- 
 nifhM from the Tabernacle, 
 breaks forth in his impatient De- 
 W&43. fires, When {ball I come and ap-' 
 pear before God ? that is, in the 
 Place where he communicates 
 his Grace to thofe that worfhip 
 him. But our Father is in Hea- 
 ven as his Throne, and moil: 
 glorioufly exhibits himfelf to 
 his Saints there. The Earth is 
 the Element and Residence of 
 carnal Men, of their Souls as 
 well as their Bodies : They de- 
 fire their Inheritance may be on 
 this fide Jordan, and are content 
 to leave the Heavenly Canaan 
 to thofe who like it. But thofe 
 who are born from above, defire 
 to be diffolved, that they may 
 
 be 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. j? 
 
 be in their Father's Houfe, and 
 his reviving Pretence for ever, 
 
 J. Let us be perfwaded to 
 prepare for the reception of our 
 Souls in the next World. The 
 prefent Life is a Paffage to E- 
 ternity, and 'tis lb fhort and fa- 
 ding, to uncertain and hazar- 
 dous, that 'tis our principal 
 Wifdom without delay to fe- 
 cure our Souls in the future 
 State. Our Saviour fays, Imuft 
 work the Work of him that fent John 9.4, 
 me while it is Day : the Night 
 cometh when no Man can work* 
 Now is the accepted Time, now is 
 the Day of Salvation. 'Tis our 
 indifpenfable Duty and main In- 
 tereft now, to work out our own 
 Salvation with fear and trem- 
 bling. In the ftate of Death 
 there is an Incapacity to do any 
 thing in order to Salvation : 
 There is no Work nor Wifdom in 
 the Grave : and all the Offers of 
 
 Sat- 
 
yZ A FuneraUSermo?i on 
 
 Salvation ceafe forever. The 
 Sufferings of the Son of God 
 are not a Ranfom for Sinners in 
 that State : He reconciled things 
 in Earth and in Heaven^ but not 
 things in Hell. The Golden 
 Scepter is extended to none 
 there, the Holy Spirit ftrives 
 with none, they are without 
 the Referves of Mercy. The 
 Guilt of Sin remains in its full 
 Obligation, the Pollution of Sin 
 in its deepeft Die, and the Pu- 
 nifhment of Sin in its Extremi- 
 ty for ever. 
 
 O what Folly is it, or rather 
 Frenzy, not to provide for our 
 Souls in their greatefl: Exigence ! 
 Common Reafbn inftrufts us, 
 knowing our own Weaknefs, 
 to commit our Treafure to the 
 cuftody of our Friends, which 
 we cannot otherwife keep from 
 our Enemies ; efpecially to fuch 
 a Friend as can and will pre- 
 
 ferve 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 79 
 
 ferve it for our Ufe and Advan- 
 tage. The Soul is our Jewel 
 above all Price, 'tis our Wifdom 
 to fecure it out of all danger : 
 Let us therefore commit it to 
 the fafe and fure Hands of our 
 Heavenly Father, otherwife we 
 cannot preferve it from the in- 
 fernal Spirits, the Robbers and 
 Murderers of Souls. 
 
 The wife Preacher denoun- 
 ces a fearful Evil, Wo be to him 
 that is done when he falleth \ for EccLq.i&i 
 he hath not another to help him 
 up. In all the Senfes of falling, 
 Death is the greateft Fall : the 
 High, the Honourable, the 
 Rich, fall from all their State ; 
 and Men of all Degrees are for* 
 faken of all their carnal Com- 
 forts and Supports. If then the 
 folitary Soul has not a God to 
 receive, fupport and comfort it, 
 how woful is its Condition ! 
 Methinks the apprehenfion of 
 
 this 
 
So A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 this fhould ftrike a Terror (b 
 deep into the Hearts of Men, 
 that they fhould be reftlefs till 
 they have fecur'd a Retreat for 
 their departing Souls. 
 
 For this end let us, according 
 to the earneft Advice of St. Pe- 
 
 | Pet. 3. f er<i b e diligent, that we may be 
 found of him in Peace, wit hour 
 Jpot, andblamelefi. 
 
 The Lord Jefus is the only 
 Peace-maker of the righteous 
 and holy God to Sinners. The 
 Judgof this World is flaming 
 with Wrath, and terrible in 
 Vengeance to Sinners that ap- 
 pear before his Tribunal out of 
 Chrift. We fhall for ever be 
 excluded from his bleffed Com- 
 munion, without the Mediator 
 reftore us to his Favour. Our 
 
 Co!. 1. 20. Reconciliation only is by Re- 
 demption in his Blood. The Cha- 
 
 !&• $3* Jlifement of our Peace was upon 
 him. He is the Lord our Right e^ 
 
 oufnefs, 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 8 1 
 
 oufnefs, by whom alone we can 
 ftand in Judgment. God was in 
 Cbriji reconciling the World to him- 
 felf. There is now an Acft of Ob- 
 Jivion offer'd in the Gofpel to all 
 that come to God by him. We 
 have fure Salvation in his Name : 
 But we muft with confenting 
 Wills, clofe with him as our Lord 
 and Life. The firft Gofpel preach'd 
 by the Angel after his coming in- 
 to the World, declares, There 
 was born in the City of David a 
 Saviour y Chrifl the Lord. We 
 muft not feparate between Chrifl: 
 the Saviour, and Chrifl: the Lord ; 
 between his Salvation and his Do- 
 minion. God indifpenfably re- 
 quires we fhpuld refign our felves 
 to his Son as our King, and rely 
 upon him as our Prieft to atone 
 his Difpleafure. If we thus re- 
 ceive him, he will reflore us to 
 the Favour and Peace of God, 
 eftablifht in an everlafting Cove- 
 nant G How 
 
8 % A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 How tenderly and compaffio- 
 nately does the great God invite 
 Sinners to re-enter into his Fa- 
 vour, to acquaint our felves with 
 him, and to he at peace ! His Em- 
 bajfadours in his Name, and in 
 ChrijTsJlead hefeech them to he re- 
 conciled to God. But their per- 
 verfe Spirits would have God re- 
 conciled to them, that they might 
 be exempt from Punifhment ; but 
 are unwilling to he reconciled to 
 him, to part with their Lufts. In 
 fliort, reconciliation with God ne- 
 ceflarily infers defiance with Sin. 
 1 e that love the Lord hate Evil. If 
 Men do not ceafe their Rebellion, 
 there is no fliadow of hope to 
 obtain the Divine Favour. 
 
 Do ye provoke the Lord to Jea- 
 loufie y are you (Ironger than he? 
 Jealoufie is the moft fenfible and 
 fevtre AfFe&ion. As 'tis with a 
 Town taken by ftorm, all that 
 are found in Arms are without 
 
 Mer- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 83 
 
 Mercy cut off; fo all that at 
 Death are found with the weapons 
 of unrighteoufnefi, their unrepented 
 unforfaken Sins about them, muft 
 expedt Judgment without Mercy. 
 
 Laftly, Let the Children of 
 God be encouraged with Peace 
 and Joy to commend their Souls 
 to him. Let rebellious Sinners 
 tremble with deadly Fear upon 
 the brink of Eternity ,• but let the 
 Saints, with a lively Hope, enter 
 into the Divine World. 
 
 If IVfen pofieis their Treafure 
 with Joy and Jealoufie, and guard 
 it with vigilant Care, will not God 
 preferve his dfeareft Treafure, the 
 Souls of his Children committed 
 to his Truft ? 
 
 Can Love forfake, can Truth 
 deceive, can Almighty Power fail? 
 Will a Father, a heavenly Father, 
 be without Bowels to his own 
 Offspring ? No, he cannot deny 
 G % him- 
 
84 ' A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 himfelf : he is readieft to relieve, 
 when they are in diftrefs. 
 
 Old Simeon is a leading Exam- 
 ple to Believers : after he had 
 embraced Chrift in his Armes, 
 how earneftly did he defire his 
 Diflblution ? Lord, now lettefl thou 
 thy Servant depart in peace, for 
 mine eyes have feen thy Salvation. 
 St. Stephen in the midft of a fhowr 
 of Stones , with a blefied Tran- 
 quillity, makes his dying Pray- 
 er, Lord Jefus receive my Spirit. 
 If the Fears of humble Souls arife 
 in that hour, becaufe they have 
 not the Confpicuous marks of 
 God's Children, the Graces of the 
 Spirit in that degree of Eminency, 
 as fome Saints have had : Let 
 them confider, there are different 
 Ages among the Children of God : 
 fome are in a flate of Infancy and 
 Infirmity ; others are more Con- 
 firm'd : but the relation is the 
 lame in all, and gives an intereft 
 
 ifl 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 85 
 
 in his promifed Mercy. The weak- 
 nefs of their Faith cannot fruftrate 
 God's faithfulnefs. ; Tis the Since- 
 rity, not the Strength of Grace, 
 that is requifite to Salvation. If 
 Faith be lhaking as a bruifed reed, 
 and but kindling as the fmoaking 
 flax , it lhall be victorious. O 
 that thefe powerfuil ( omforts 
 may encourage dying Chriftians 
 to commend their Souls with Ar- 
 dency and AiTurance to God, their 
 Father, and Felicity. 
 
 I have now finiflit my Dif- 
 courfe upon the Text, and fhall 
 apply my felf to fpeak of the o- 
 ther Subject, the Reverend Mr. 
 Richard Baxter , that Excellent In- 
 ftrument of Divine Grace, to re- 
 cover and reftore fo many revol- 
 ted Souls to God, out of the Em- 
 pire of his Enemy : or in the A- 
 poftles Language, to tranjlate them 
 from the Kingdom of Darknefs, in* 
 G } to 
 
S6 A FunerahServion on 
 
 to the Kingdom of his dear Son- I 
 am fenfible, that in fpeaking of 
 him I fhall be under a ciouble 
 Difadvantage : Forthofewho per- 
 fectly knew him, will be apt to 
 think my Account of him to be 
 Ihort and defe&ive, an imperfe<5t 
 Shadow of his refplendent Ver- 
 tues : others who were unacquain- 
 ted with his extraordinary Worth, 
 will from Ignorance or Envy be in- 
 clin d to think his juft Praifes to be 
 undue and exceflive. Indeed if 
 Love could make me eloquent, I 
 ihould ufe all the mod lively and 
 graceful Colours of Language to a- 
 dorn his Memory : but this Con- 
 fideration relieves me in theCon- 
 fcioufnefs of my Difability, that 
 a plain Narrative of what Mr. 
 Baxter wa£ and did, will bee a 
 moll nobie Eulogy : and that his 
 Jjihflantial Piety no more needs 
 artinciai Oratory to fet it ofi^ 
 than refined Gold wants Paint 
 
 ro 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 87 
 
 to add JLuftre and Value to 
 it. 
 
 I fliall not fpeak of his Paren- 
 tage, and his firft Years: but I 
 mud not omit a Teftimony I re- 
 ceived concerning his early Piety. 
 His Father faid with Tears of Joy 
 to a Friend, my Son R/chard I 
 hope was fancSUfied from the 
 Womb : for when he was a little 
 Boy in Coats, if he heard other 
 Children in play fpeak profane 
 Words, he would reprove them 
 to the Wonder of thofe that 
 heard him. 
 
 He had not the Advantage of 
 Academical Education : but by 
 the Divine Blelling upon his rare 
 Dexterity and Diligence, his Sa- 
 cred Knowledge was in that De- 
 gree of Eminence, as few in the 
 Univeifity ever arrive to. Not 
 long after his Entrance into the 
 Miniftry the Civil War began, 
 and the Times rain'd Blood fo 
 G 4 long, 
 
88 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 long, till the languifhing State of 
 the Kingdom, was almoft defpe- 
 rate and incurable. How far he 
 was, concern' d as a Chaplain in 
 the Parliament's Army, he has 
 publiflit an Account, and therea- 
 fons of it. 
 
 After the War, he was fixt at 
 Kederminfler, There his Miniftry 
 by the Divine Influence, was of 
 admirable Efficacy. The Harveft 
 aniwer d the Seed that was fow- 
 ed. Before his coming, the Place 
 was like a Piece of dry and bar- 
 ren Earth, onely Ignorance and 
 Profaneneis as Natives of the Soil 
 were rife among them ; but by 
 the Blelling of Heaven upon his 
 Labour and Cultivating, the Face 
 of Paradife appeared there in all 
 the Fruits of Righteoufnefs. Many 
 were tranflated from theftate of pol- 
 luted Nature, to the ftate of Grace; 
 and many were advanc'd to higher 
 degrees of Holinefs. The bad were 
 
 chang'd 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 8^ 
 
 chang'd to good, and the good to 
 better. Convention is the Excel- 
 lent Work of Divine Grace : the 
 Efficacy of the Means is from the 
 Supreme Mover. But God ufual- 
 ly makes thofe Minifters fuccefs- 
 full in that Blefled Work , whofe 
 principal Defign and Delight is to 
 glorifie him in the faving of Souls. 
 This was the reigning AfFe&ion in 
 his Heart ; and he was extraor- 
 dinarily qualified to obtain his 
 End. 
 
 His Prayers were an Effufion of 
 the mod lively melting Expreffi- 
 ons, and his intimate ardent Af- 
 fections to God ; from the a- 
 bmdance of his Heart his Lips 
 [pake. His Soul took Wing for 
 Heaven, and rapt up the Souls of 
 others with him. Never did I fee 
 or hear a holy Minifter addrels 
 himfelf to God with more Reve- 
 rence and Humility, with refpedt 
 to his glorious Greatnefs ; never 
 
 with 
 
90 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 with more Zeal and Fervency cor- 
 refpondent to the infinite Moment 
 of his requefts ; nor with more Fi- 
 lial* Affiance in the Divine Mercy. 
 In his Sermons there was a 
 rare Union of Arguments and Mo- 
 tives to convince the Mind and 
 gain the Heart : All the Fountains 
 of Reafon and Perfwafion were 
 open to his difcerningEye. There 
 was no refilling the Force of his 
 Difcourfes without denying Rea- 
 fon and Divine Revelation. He 
 had a marvellous Felicity and Co- 
 pioufnefe in fpeaking. There was 
 a noble Negligence in his Stile : 
 tor his great Mind could not 
 ftoop to the affe&ed Eloquence 
 of Words : he defpis'd flafhy Ora- 
 tory : but his Expreffions were 
 clear and powerful, fo convincing 
 the Underilanding, fo entring in- 
 to the Soul, fo engaging the Af- 
 fecitons, that thofe were as deaf 
 as Adders, who were not charm d 
 
 h 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. ^i 
 
 ly fo wife a Charmer. He was a- 
 nimated with the Holy Spirit, and 
 breath'd Celeftial Fire, to infjSire 
 Heat and Life into dead Sinners, 
 and to melt the obdurate in their 
 frozen Tombs. Methinks I ftill 
 hear him fpeak thole powerfull 
 Words : A Wretch that is condemn d His Ser- 
 to dy to Morrow cannot forget it : 1 ^^ 
 And yet poor Sinners, that con- Houfe of 
 tinually are uncertain to live an Commons 
 Hour, and certain fpeedily to fee 1 °* 
 the Majejly of the Lord to their 
 unconceivable Joy or Terror, as 
 fure as they now live on Earthy 
 can forget thefe things for which 
 they have their memory : and 
 which one would think jhould 
 drown the matters of this World^ 
 as the report of a Canon does a 
 Whifper , or as the Sun ohfcures 
 the poorefl Glo - worm. won- 
 der full ft up id it y of an unrenewed 
 Soul ! wonderfull folly and di~ 
 firaftednefs of the' mgodjj ! That 
 
 ever 
 
£2 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 ever Men can forget, I fay again> 
 that they can forget, Eternal joy y 
 Eternal Woe, and the Eternal 
 God) and the place of their Eter- 
 nal unchangeable Abodes , when 
 they (land even at the door; and 
 y there is but the thin Vail of 
 Flejh between them and that a- 
 mazing fight, that Eternal gulph, 
 and they are daily dying and fit *p* 
 ping in, 
 
 Befides, his wonderfull diligence 
 in Catechizing the particular Fa- 
 milies under his Charge, was ex- 
 ceeding ufefull to plant Religion 
 in them. Perfonal inftrud:ion,and 
 application of Divine Truths, has 
 an excellent advantage and effi- 
 cacy to infinuate and infufe Reli- 
 gion into the Minds and Hearts 
 of Men, and by the Converfion 
 of Parents and Mafters to reform 
 whole Families that are under 
 their immediate direction and go- 
 vernment While he was at Ke- 
 
 der*> 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. ?$ 
 
 derminfler he wrote and publifht 
 that accomplifht Model of an E- 
 vangelical Minifter, ftyled Gildas 
 Salviamis^ or the Reform'd Paftor : 
 In that book, he clears beyond all 
 cavil, That the Duty of Minifters 
 is not confined to their Study and 
 the Pulpit, but that they fhould 
 make ufe of opportunities to in- 
 ftru& Families within their Care, 
 as 'tis faid by the Apoftle, that he 
 had kept back nothing from his 
 Hearers that was profitable^ hut 
 had taught them publkkly , and 
 from houfe to houfe. The Idea of 
 a faithfull Minifter delineated in 
 that book, was a Copy taken from 
 the Life , from his own zealous 
 Example. His unwearied induftry 
 to do good to his Flock, was an- 
 fwer'd by Correfpondent Love and 
 Thankfulnefs. He was an Angel 
 in their Efleem. He would often 
 fpeak with great Complacence of 
 their dear Atfedtions: and a little 
 
 before 
 
P4 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 before his Death, faid, He believ'd 
 they were more Expreffive of 
 kindnefs to him, than the Chri- 
 ftian Converts were to the Apo- 
 ftle Paul, by what appears in 
 his Writings. 
 
 While he remain'd at Keder* 
 minfter, his Illuftrious Worth was 
 not ihaded in a Corner, but dif- 
 pers'd its Beams and Influence 
 round the Countrey. By his Coun- 
 fel and Excitation , the Minifters 
 in Worcefterfkire, Epifcopal, Pres- 
 byterian and Congregational were 
 united, that by their Studies, La- 
 bours, and Advice, the Doctrine 
 and PraCtife of Religion, the 
 Truths and Holinefs of the Gofpel 
 might be preferved in all the Chur- 
 ches committed to their Charge. 
 This AfTociation was of excellent 
 ufe , the ends of Church-govern- 
 ment were obtain'd by it : and it 
 was a leading Example to the Mi- 
 nifters of ether Counties. Mr. 
 
 Bax- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. ^5 
 
 Baxter was not above his Brethren 
 Minifters, by a Superior Title, 
 or any fecular advantage, but by 
 his divine endowments and fepa- 
 rate excellencies, his extraordina- 
 ry wifdom, zeal, and fidelity : he 
 was the Soul of that Happy So- 
 ciety. 
 
 He continued among his beloved 
 people, till the year 1660. then 
 he came to London. A while after 
 the King's Reftoration, there were 
 many Endeavours us'd in order to 
 an Agreement between theEpifco- 
 pal and Presbyterian Minifters. 
 For this end feveral of the BiOiops 
 elecl, and of the Minifters, were 
 call'd to attend the King at Wor- 
 ce/?£/-Houfe : there was read to 
 them a Declaration , drawn up 
 with great wifdom and moderati- 
 on, by the Lord Chancellor the 
 Earl of Clarendon. I ihall onely 
 obferve that in reading the feverai 
 parts of the Declaration, Dr, Mor- 
 
 ■n 
 
$6 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 ley was the principal manager of 
 the Conference among theBilhops, 
 and Mr. Baxter among the Mi- 
 nifters: and one particular I can- 
 not forget ; it was defir'd by the 
 Minifters, that the Bifhops lhould 
 exercife their Church Power with 
 the counfel and confent of Pref- 
 byters. This limiting of their 
 Authority was fo difpleafing, that 
 Dr. Cofins, then eleit of Durham, 
 feid, If your Majefty grants this 
 you will Unbifhop your Bifhops. 
 Dr. Reynolds upon this produced 
 the Book, entituled, The Portrai- 
 ture of his Sacred Majefty tn his 
 Solitude and Sufferings , and read 
 the following Paflage : Not that I 
 am againft the managing of this 
 Prejidency and Authority in One 
 Man by the joint Counfel and Con- 
 fent of many Presbyters: 1 have 
 offer d to reft ore that, as a fit means 
 to avoid thofe Errors, Corruptions 
 and Partialities, which are incident 
 
 to 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. $y 
 
 to any One Man : alfo to avoid Ty- 
 ranny^ which hecomes no Chrijlians y 
 leaft. of all Church-men, Befides y 
 it will le a means to take away 
 that burthen and odium i&airs, 
 which may lie too heavy on one 
 Man s JhoulderS) as indeed I think 
 it did formerly on the Bijhops here. 
 The good Doc?cor thought, that 
 the Judgment of the King's afflic- 
 ted and inquiring Father would 
 have been of great moment to 
 incline him to that temperament : 
 but the King prefently repi ; ed, 
 All that is in that Book is not Gofpel. 
 My Lord Chancellor prudently 
 moderated in that matter, that 
 the Bifhops, in weighty Caufes, 
 fhould have the ailiftance of the 
 Presbyters. 
 
 Mr. Baxter confidering the 
 ftate of our affairs in that time, 
 was well pleafed with that Decla- 
 ration : He w T as of Calvin $ mind, 
 who judicioufly obferves, upon 
 H our 
 
2 8 ' A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 our Saviour's words , That the 
 Son of Man fhall fend forth his An- 
 gels, and they fball gather out of 
 his Kingdom all things that offend : 
 Qui ad extirpandum quicquid dif 
 plicet pnepojlere feftinant, ante- 
 vert ant Chrifti judicium, & erep- 
 tum Angelis cfficium fili temere 
 ufurpant. They that make too 
 much hafle to redrefi at once all 
 things that are amifi, anticipate 
 the Judgment of Chrijl , and 
 rafhly ufurp the Office of the An- 
 gels. Befides, that Declaration 
 granted fuch a freedom to Con- 
 scientious Miniflers, that were un- 
 fatisfied as to the Old Conformity, 
 that if it had teen obferved, it 
 had prevented the dolefull Divi- 
 fion fucceeded afterward. But 
 when there was a motion made 
 in the Houfe of Commons, that 
 the Declaration might pafs into 
 an Ad:, it was oppos'd by one of 
 the Secretary* of State , which 
 
 was 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter, p? 
 
 was a fufficient Indication of the 
 Kings averfencfs to it. 
 
 After the Declaration there were 
 many Conferences at the Savoy 
 between the Birtiops and feme 
 Doctors of their Party, with Mr. 
 Baxter and feme other Minifters, 
 for an Agreement, wherein his 
 Zeal for Peace was mod conspi- 
 cuous : but all was in vain. Of 
 the Particulars that were debated, 
 he has given an account in Print. 
 
 Mr. Baxter, after his coming 
 to London, during the time of Li- 
 berty, did not neglecl tjiat which 
 was the principal Exerciie of his 
 Life, the preaching the Gofpel, 
 being always fenfibie of his duty 
 of- laving Souls. He Preachf at 
 St. Dunftans on the Lord's-days ill 
 the Afternoon. I remember one 
 inftance of his firm Faith in the 
 Divine Providence, and his For- 
 titude when he was engaged in 
 H a his 
 
ioo A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 his Miniftry there. The Church 
 was Old, and the People were 
 apprehenfive of fome danger in 
 meeting in it : and while Mr.Bax- 
 ter was Preaching, fomething in 
 the Steeple fell down.andthe noife 
 flruck fuch a terror into the Pec- 
 ple, they prefently, in a wild dis- 
 order, run out of the Church : 
 their eagernefs to hade away, put 
 ail into a tumult : Mr. Baxter , 
 without vifible difturbance, fat 
 down in the Pulpit ; after the 
 hurry was over, tie refuin'd his 
 Difcourfe, and faid, to compofe 
 their Minds • We are in the Ser- 
 vice of God to prepare our felves, 
 that ive may he fcarlefs at the 
 great noife of the diffolving Wo ld^ 
 when the Heavens [hall pafi avoay^ 
 and the Elements welt in fervent 
 heat ; the Earth alfo , and the 
 Works therein fhall be hurnt up, 
 
 After 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 101 
 
 After the Church of St. Dun- 
 flans was pull'd down in order to 
 its re-building , he removed to 
 Black-Fryars, and continued his 
 preaching there to a vaft Con- 
 courfe of Hearers, till the fatal 
 Bartholomew. 
 
 In the Year 166 i, a Parliament 
 was caird, wherein was pad the 
 A<ft of Uniformity, that expelfd 
 from their publiek Places about 
 two thoufandMinifleis. [will onely 
 take notice concerning theCaufes 
 of that Proceeding , that the Old 
 Clergy from Wrath and Revenge, 
 and the young Gentry from their 
 fervile Compliance with the 
 Court, and their Diitafle of feri- 
 ous Religion, were very active to 
 carry on and com pleat that A6h 
 That this is no rafli Imputation 
 upon the ruling Clergy then is c= 
 vident, not onely from their Con- 
 H 2 cur? 
 
io2 A Funeral- Semi on on 
 
 currence in pairing that Law, for 
 Actions have a Language as con- 
 vincing as that of Words, but 
 from Dr. Sheldon then Biihop of 
 London their great Leader ; who 
 when the Lord Chamberlain Mam 
 chejler, told the King, while the 
 Ad: of Uniformity was under de- 
 bate, that he was afraid the Terms 
 of it were fo rigid, that many of 
 the Miniften - would not comply 
 with it ; he reply ed , 1 am a- 
 (raid they will. This Act was 
 paiJ after the King had engaged 
 hs Faith and Honour in his De- 
 claration from Breda, to preferve 
 the Liberty of Confcience inviolate^ 
 which prorriife open'd the way for 
 his orat on ; and after the 
 
 RovaMs here, had given publick 
 nice, that ail former Animo- 
 sities Ihould be buried, as Rubbifb 
 under the Foundation of a Vnizef- 
 (al Concord. Mr. Baxter was in- 
 volved with fo many Minifters in 
 
 tins 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter 103 
 
 thisCalamity,who was their brigh- 
 teft Ornament, and the belt De- 
 fence of their righteous, though 
 opprefled Caufe : Two Obfervati- 
 ons he made upon that Act and 
 our Ejection. 
 
 The one was, that the Mini- 
 flers were turned and kept out 
 from the publick Exercife of their 
 Office, in that time of their Lives, 
 that was moil fit to be dedicated 
 end employed for the Service and 
 Glory of God, that is between 
 thirty and ftxty Years, when their 
 intellectual and instrumental Fa- 
 culties were in their Vigour. The 
 other was in a Letter to me after 
 the Death of feveral Biiliops wh<> 
 were concurrent in pading that 
 Acl:, and expreil no Sorrow for 
 it : his words were, for ought I 
 fee, the Bifhops will own the turn- 
 ing of us out, at the Tribunal of 
 Chrifl) and thither we appeal. 
 
 H 4 After 
 
104 ^ Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 After the Ad of Uniformity had 
 taken its effed:, in the Ejedion of 
 fo many Minifiers, there was 
 fometimes a Connivance at the 
 private Exercife of their Miniftry, 
 fometime publick Indulgencegran- 
 ted, and often a fevere Profecuti- 
 on of them, as the Popifh and 
 Politick Intereft of the Court va- 
 ried. When there was Liberty, 
 Mr. Baxter applyed himfelf to 
 his delightful Work, to the great 
 Advantage of thofe who enjoy- 
 ed his Miniftry. But the Church- 
 Party oppos'd vehemently the Li- 
 berty that was granted. Indeed 
 fuch was their Fiercenefs,that if the 
 Diflenting Minifters bad been as 
 wife as Serpents, and as innocent 
 as Doves, they could not efcape 
 their deep Cenfures. The Pulpit 
 reprefented them as feditioufly 
 dilaffeded to the State, as obili- 
 nate Schifmaticks, and often the 
 Name of God was not onely taken 
 
 in 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter, 105 
 
 in vain, hut in violence, to autho- 
 rife their hard Speeches, and har- 
 der Actions againft them. Some 
 drops of that Storm fell upon 
 Mr. Baxter, who calmly fubmit- 
 ted to their injurious dealings. I 
 fhall fpeak of that afterward. 
 
 In the Interval, between his De- 
 privation and his Death, he wrote 
 and publiflit the moft of his Books, 
 of which I ihall give fome account. 
 
 His Books, ior their number 
 and varfcty of Matter in them, 
 make a Library. They contain 
 a Treafure of Controverfial, Ca- 
 fuiftical, Pofitive and Practical Di- 
 vinity. Of them I (ball relate • 
 the Words of one, whofe exact 
 Judgment, joyn'd with his Mode- 
 ration, will give a great value 'to 
 his Teftimony ; they are of the 
 very Reverend Dr. Wilkins, after- 
 wards Bifhop of Ckejler : he laid 
 that Mr. Baxter had cultivated e- 
 very Subject be handled ; and if he 
 
 had 
 
io6 °A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 had lived in the Primitive Times^ 
 he had been one of the Fathers of 
 the Church. I fliall add what he 
 faid with admiration of him ano- 
 ther time, That it was enough for 
 one Age to produce fuch a 1 erfon 
 as Mr. Baxter. Indeed, he had 
 fuch an amplitude in his Thoughts, 
 fuch vivacity of Imagination, and 
 fuch folidity and depth of Judg- 
 ment, as rarely meet together. 
 His inquiring Mind was freed from 
 the fervile deje&feon and bondage 
 of an implicit Faith. He adher'd 
 to the Scriptures as the perfect 
 Rule of Faith , and fearcht whe- 
 ther the Doctrines received and 
 taught were Confonant to it. 
 This is the duty of every Chri- 
 iUan according to his capacity, 
 efpecially of Minifters, and the 
 necellary means to open the Mind 
 for Divine Knowledge, and for the 
 advancement of the Truth. He 
 publiflit feveral Books againft the 
 • . Papifts 
 
M. Richard Baxter. 107 
 
 Papifts with that clearnefs and 
 ftrengtb, as will Confound, if not 
 Convince them. He laid, he one- 
 ly defer d Armies and Antiquity 
 again ft the Papifts : Armies, he 
 caufe of their blood} 7 flelig 
 often exemplified in Engtant Ire* 
 land, France and othei ' pu tries. 
 However they maj q the 
 
 Stage, they are always the fame 
 perfons in theTyring-ro<j: n : their 
 Religion binds them to extirpate 
 Hereticks, and often over-rutes the 
 milder inclinations' of their na- 
 ture : Antiquity, became they are 
 inveigled with a fond pretence to 
 it, as if it were favourable to their 
 Caufe : but it has been demon- 
 ftrated by many learned Prote- 
 ftants, that the Argument of An- 
 tiquity is directly againfl: the 
 principal Doctrines of Popery, as 
 that of the Supremacy, of Trari- 
 fubfiantiation, of Image-woriliip, 
 find others. 
 
 He 
 
io8 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 His Bocks He has wrote feveral excellent 
 t th \^% Books againft the impudent Athe- 
 luheohri- l ^ m °f A* 8 loofe Age. In them 
 ftian i^?- he efiabliilies the fundamental 
 Ligion. Principle, upon which the whole 
 Fabrick of Chriftianity is built ; 
 that after this fliort uncertain life, 
 there is a future flate of happinefe 
 or mifery equally Eternal, and 
 that Death is the laft irrevocable 
 ftep into that unchangeable ftate. 
 From hence it follows by infalli- 
 ble Confequence, that the reafon- 
 ab!e Creature fliould prefer the in- 
 tereft of the Soul before that of 
 the Body, and fecure Eternal life. 
 This being laid, he proves the 
 Chriftian Religion to be the onely 
 way of fallen Man's being reftor'd 
 to the favour of God, and obtain- 
 ing a blefled Immortality. This 
 great Argument he manages with 
 that clearnefs and ilrength, that 
 none can refufe aiTent unto it, 
 without denying the infallible 
 
 Princi- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. i op 
 
 Principles of Faith, and the evi- 
 dent Principles of Nature. 
 
 He alfo publiflit ibme warm 
 Difcourfes, to Apologize for the 
 Preaching of Diilenting Minifters, 
 and to excite them to do their 
 Duty. He did not think that Ad: 
 of Uniformity could difoblige 
 them from the Exercife of their 
 Office. 'Tis true, Magiftrates are 
 Titular-Gods by their Deputation 
 and Vicegerency, but fubordinate 
 and accountable to God above. 
 Their Laws have no binding force 
 upon the Confcience, but from 
 his Command ; and if contrary 
 to his Law, are to be difobeyed. 
 The Minifters Confecrated to the 
 Service of God are under a moral 
 perpetual Obligation of Preaching 
 the faving Truths of the Gofpel, 
 as they have opportunity. There 
 needs no miraculous Teftimony 
 of their Commiffion from Heaven, 
 to authorize- the doing their ordi- 
 nary Duty: In 
 
no A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 In fome points of modern Con- 
 troverfie he judicioufly chofe the 
 middle way, and ad vifed young Di- 
 vines to follow it. His reverence of 
 the Divine Purity, made him very 
 fliy and jealous oT any Do&rine 
 that feem'd torefled a blemifh and 
 ftain upon it. He was a clear af- 
 ferter of the foveraign Freenefs, 
 and infallible Efficacy of Divine 
 Grace in the Converfion of Souls. 
 In a Sermon reciting the Words of 
 the Covenant of Grace, I will put 
 my fear into their hearts^ and they 
 (hall not depart from me ; he ob- 
 served the Tenor of it was , / 
 willy and you fhall. Divine Grace 
 makes the rebellious Will obedi- 
 ent, but does not make the Will 
 to be no Will. By the Illuminati- 
 on of the Mind, the Will is in- 
 clin'd to Obedience, according to 
 the Words of our Saviour, All that 
 have heard and learn d of the Father 
 come to me. He preach'd that the 
 
 Death 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 1 1 
 
 Death of Chrift was certainly ef- 
 fectual for all the Eledt to make 
 them partakers of Grace and Glo- 
 ry, and that it was fo far benefici- 
 al to all Men, that they are not 
 left in the fame defperate State 
 with the falien Angels, but are 
 made capable of Salvation by the 
 Grace of the Gofpel : not capa- 
 ble of Efficience to convert them- 
 felves, but as Subjects to receive 
 laving Grace. He did fo honour the 
 fincenty of God, as entirely to 
 believe his Will declared in his 
 Word: he would not interpret the 
 Promifes of the Gofpel in a lefs 
 gracious fenfe than God intended 
 them: Therefore if Men finally 
 periih, 'tis not for w r anc of Mercy 
 in God, nor Merits in Chrift, but 
 for their wilfull refafing Salvati- 
 on. 
 
 His Books of Pra&ical Divinity 
 have been efFe&uai for more nu- 
 merous Converfions of Sinners to 
 
 God, 
 
112 
 
 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 God, than any printed in our 
 time : and while the Church re- 
 mains on Earth , will be of con- 
 tinual Efficacy to recover loft 
 Souls. There is a vigorous Pulfe 
 in them that keeps the Reader a- 
 wake and attentive. His Book of 
 the Saints Everlafling Reft \ was 
 written by him when languifhing 
 in the fufpence «f Life and Death, 
 but has the Signatures of his holy 
 and vigorous Mind. To allure our 
 Defires, he unvails the Sanctuary 
 above, and difcovers the Glory and 
 Joys of the BleiTed in the Divine 
 Prefence, by a Light fo ftrong and 
 lively, that all the glittering Va- 
 nities of this World vanifh in that 
 Comparifon, and a fincere Believer 
 will defpife them, as one of mature 
 Age does the Toys and Baubles of 
 Children. To excite our fear he 
 removes the Skreen, and makes 
 the Everlafting Fire of Hell fo 
 vifible, and reprefents the tor- 
 menting 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 1 3 
 
 meriting Paffions of the Damned 
 in thofe dread full Colours, that if 
 duly confidered, would check and 
 controul the unbridled licentious 
 Appetites of the moil fenfual 
 Wretches. 
 
 His Call to the Vnconverted • 
 how fmall in bulk, but how pow- 
 erfull in vertue \ Truth fpeaks in 
 it with that authority and effica- 
 cy, that it makes the Reader to lay 
 his hand upon his heart, and find 
 he has a Soul and a Confcience , 
 though he lived before as if he 
 had none. He told fome friends, 
 that fix Brothers were Converted 
 by reading that Call,- and that e- 
 very Week ne received Letters of 
 fome Converted by his Books. 
 This he fpake with mod humble 
 thankfulnefs, that God was plea- 
 fed to ufe him as an in rument 
 for the Sklvaftort of Souls. 
 
 He that wr.s : : ; fijlicitous for the 
 
 Salvation of oc iwrs, was not ncg- 
 
 1 ligens 
 
H4 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 ligent of his own ; but as regular 
 Love requires, his firft Care was 
 to prepare himfelf for Heaven. In 
 him the Vertues of the Contem- 
 plative and Adttve Life were emi- 
 nently united. His time was fpent 
 in Communion with God, and in 
 Charity to Men. He lived above 
 the fenfible World, and in folitude 
 and filence conversed with God. 
 The frequent and ferious Medita- 
 tion of Eternal things was the 
 powerfull means to make his Heart 
 holy and heavenly,and from thence 
 his Converfation. His Life was a 
 practical Sermon , a drawing Ex- 
 ample. There was an Air of Hu- 
 mility and Sandtity in his morti- 
 fied Countenance ; and his De- 
 portment was becoming a Stran- 
 ger upon Earth, and a Citizen of 
 Heaven. 
 
 Though all Divine Graces, the 
 fruit of the Spirit, were vifible in 
 his Converfation , yet fome were 
 more eminent. Hu- 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. i 1 5 
 
 Humility is to other Graces, as 
 the Morning-Star is to the Sun; 
 that goes before it, and follows 
 it in the Evening : Humility pre- 
 pares us for the receivingof Grace, 
 God gives Grace to the humble : and 
 it follows the Exercife of Grace ; 
 Not /, fays the Apoftle, but the 
 Grace of God in me. In Mr. Bax- 
 ter there was a rare Union of fiib- 
 lime Knowledge, and other fpiri- 
 tual Excellencies, with the lowed 
 opinion of himfelf. He wrote to one 
 that fent a Letter to him full 
 of Expreflions of Honour and E- 
 fteem, Tou do admire one you do 
 not know ; Knowledge will cure your 
 Error. The more we know God, the 
 more reafon we fee to admire him ; 
 but our knowledge of the Crea- 
 ture difcovers its imperfections, 
 and lellens our efteem. To the 
 fame perfon expreffing his Vene- 
 ration of him for his excellent 
 Gifts and Graces, he replied with 
 I z heat ? 
 
1 1 6 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 heat, / have the remainders of 
 pride in me , how dare you blow up 
 the /parks of it ? He defir d fome 
 Minifters, his chofen friends, to 
 meet at his Houfe , and fpend a 
 day in Prayer for his direction in 
 a matter of moment : before the 
 Duty was begun, he faid, / have 
 defir d your affiflance at this time, 
 lecaufe I believe God will fooner 
 hear your Prayers than mine. He 
 imitated St. Auflin both in his Pe- 
 nitential Confeilions, and Retracta- 
 tions. In conjunction with Hu- 
 s mility, he had great Candor for 
 others. He could willingly bear 
 with perfons of differing Senti- 
 ments : he would not projiitute his 
 own judgment, nor ravifh another s. 
 He did not over-efteem himfelf > 
 nor under-value others. He would 
 give liberal Encomiums of many 
 Conforming Divines. Hewasfe- 
 vere to himlelf, but candid in ex- 
 cufing the faults of others. Where- 
 as, 
 
M\ Richard Baxter. 1 1 7 
 
 as, the bufie Inquirer and Cenfurer 
 of the faults of others, is ufuaiiy 
 the eafie Negle&er of his own. 
 
 Self-denial and Contempt of 
 the World were fhining Graces in 
 him. I never knew any perfon 
 lefs indigent to himfelf, and 
 more indifferent to his Temporal 
 intereft. The offer of a Bifho- 
 prick was no temptation to him : 
 for his exalted Soul defpifed the 
 Pleafures and Profits which others 
 fo earneftly defire 5 he va!ued not 
 an empty Title upon his Tomb. 
 
 His Patience was truly Chrifii- 
 an. God does often try his Chil- 
 dren by Afflictions, to exercife 
 their Graces , to occafion their 
 Victory, and to entitle them to a 
 triumphant Felicity. 
 
 This Saint was tried by many 
 Afflictions. We are very tender of 
 our Reputation : his Name was 
 cbfcur'd under a Cloud of detrac- 
 tion. Many flanderous Darts were 
 I 3 thrown 
 
1 1 8 A Funeral- Sermon on 
 
 thrown at him. He was charge 
 with Schifm and Sedition. He 
 was acciis'd for his Paraphrafe up- 
 on the New Telia ment, as guilty 
 of diflpyal Afperfiqns upon the 
 Government, arid Ccndemn'd, un- 
 heard, to a Frifcn, where he re- 
 main d for fome \ ears. But he was 
 fo far from being moved at the 
 unrighteous profecution, that he 
 joyfully laid to a conftant friend, 
 What could I defire more of God, 
 than after having ferv'd him to my 
 power 9 I fhould now be called to 
 fiitfer for him. One who had teen 
 a fierce Diflenter, was afterward 
 rankled with an oppofite heat, and 
 very contumelicully in his Wri- 
 tings reffe&ed upon Mr. Baxter, 
 ho calmly endur'd his Contempt: 
 and v\ hen the fame perfon publiiht 
 a learned Didourfe in Defence of 
 Christianity , My. Baxter laid, / 
 forgive him all for his Writing that 
 Book, Indeed he was fo much the 
 
 more 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. i ip 
 
 more truly honourable, as he was 
 thought worthy of the hatred of 
 thofe perfons. 
 
 'Tis true, the Cenfures and Re- 
 proaches of others whom he e- 
 fteemed and loved, toucht him in 
 the tender part. But he, with the 
 great Apoftle, counted it a fmall 
 thing to be judgd by Mens day. He 
 was entire to his Confcience, and 
 independent upon the opinion of 
 others. But his Patience was more 
 eminently tried by his continual 
 pains and languifhing. Martyrdom 
 is a more eaue way of dying, when 
 the Combat and the Vid:ory are 
 finifht at once, than to dye by de- 
 grees every day. His Complaints 
 were frequent, but who ever heard 
 an unfubmiffive word drop from 
 his lips \ He was not put out of 
 his Patience, nor out of the pofief- 
 fion of himfelf. In his fharp Pains, 
 he fa id, / have a rational Patience, 
 and a believing Patience , though 
 fenfe would recoil. His 
 
i 20 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 His pacifick Spirit was a clear 
 Chara&er of his being a Child of 
 God. How ardently he endeavour'd 
 to cement the breaches among us, 
 which'others;widen and keep open, 
 is puoiickly known. He faid to a 
 friend, I can as willingly he a Mar- 
 tyr for Love, as for any Article of 
 the Creed. 7 Tis ftrange to aflonifh- 
 ment, that thofe who agree in the 
 fubilantial and great Points of the 
 Reformed Religion, and are of dif- 
 fering Sentiments onely in things 
 not fo clear, nor of that moment 
 as thofe wherein they confent, 
 fliould (till be oppofite Parties. 
 Methinks the remembrance how 
 our Divifions lately expos'd us to 
 our watchfull Adverfary, and v ere 
 almoft fata! to the .nteieft of Reli- 
 gion, fhould concilia re our Affec- 
 tions, Our common danger and 
 common deliverance, fhould pre- 
 pare our Spirits for a fincere and 
 firm Union. When our Sky was 
 
 io 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 2 1 
 
 fo dark without a glimmering 
 Horizon, then by a new dawning 
 of God's wonderful Providence, a 
 Deliverer appear'd, our gracious 
 Soveraign, who has the Honour 
 of eflabliihing oui Religion at 
 home, and gives us hopes of re- 
 ftoring it abroad in places from 
 whence it tu& jcc." io unrighte- 
 oufly and cruelly expell'd. May 
 the Union of his Prottnant Sub- 
 jects in religious things fo denYd 
 by wife and good Men, be accorn- 
 plifht by his princely Counic] and 
 Authority, integrity with Chari- 
 ty would remove thofe things that 
 have fo long Jifunited us, I re- 
 tarn from V— nigreffion. 
 
 Love : the Souls of Men was 
 the pecafer Character of Mr. 
 Bcixi°r ±o\\iiz. In this he imita- 
 ted and honoured our Saviour, 
 who prayed, dyed, and lives for 
 the Salvation of Souk All his 
 patUral and fuper natural Endow- 
 
 ments 
 
122 A Funeral-S ermou on 
 
 mems were fubfervient to this 
 Welled End. It was his Meat, and 
 Drink, the Life and Joy of his 
 Life to doe good to Souls. His 
 Induftry was almoft incredible in 
 his Studies: he had a fenfitive na- 
 ture defirous of eafe as others have, 
 and faint Faculties, yet fuch was 
 the continual Application of him- 
 felf to his great Work, as if the 
 Labour of one Day had fupplyed 
 ftrength for another, and the voil- 
 lingnefs of the Spirit had fupported 
 the Weaknefs of the Flejh. In his 
 ufual Converfation, his ferious, 
 frequent and delightfull Difcourfe 
 was of Divine things, to inflame 
 his Friends with the Love of Hea- 
 ven. He received with tender 
 Compaflion and condefcending 
 ndnefs, the meaneft that came 
 to him for Councel and Confola- 
 t.on. He gave in one year a hun- 
 dred Pounds to buy Bibles for the 
 soor. He has in his Will difpos'd 
 
 of 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter, 123 
 
 of all that remains of his Eftate 
 after the Legacies to his Kindred, 
 for the benefit of the Souls and 
 Bodies of the Poor. He continu- 
 ed to preach fo long notwithftan- 
 ding his wafted languiihing Bcdy, 
 that the laft time, he almoft died 
 in the Pulpit. It would have been 
 his joy to have been transfigured 
 in the Mount. 
 
 Not long after his laft Sermon, 
 he felt the Approaches of Death, 
 and was confin'd to his fick Bed. 
 Death reveals the Secrets of the 
 Heart, then words are fpoken with 
 rrioft feeling and leaft AfFe&ation. 
 This excellent Saint w T as the fame 
 in his Life and Death: his laft: 
 Hours were fpent in preparing o- 
 thers and himfelf to appear before 
 God. He faid to his Friends that 
 vifited him, Ton come hither to 
 learn to dye, I am not the onely 
 Ferfon that mufl go this way, I can 
 affhre you y that your whole Life be 
 
 it 
 
124 ^ Funeral-Sermon en 
 
 it never fo long is little enough to 
 prepare for Death. Have a care 
 of this vain deceitful World y and 
 the Lufls of the Fief) : be fur e you 
 choofe God for your portion, Hea- 
 ven for your home, God's Glory for 
 your end, His word for your rule, 
 and then you need never fear 
 but we (hall meet with Corn' 
 fort. 
 
 Never was a Sinner more hum- 
 ble and debafing himfelf, never was 
 a fmcere Believer more calm and 
 comfortable. He acknowledged 
 himfelf to be the vifeft Dunghil- 
 worrn ( 'twas his ufual Expreilion) 
 that ever went to Heaven. He 
 admlr'd the Divine Conlefcenfion 
 to us, often faying, Lord what h 
 Man , what am I vile Worm to the 
 great God > Many time* he prayed, 
 God be merciful to me a Sinner, 
 and blefled God, that that was left 
 upon record in the Gofpel as an 
 erfedtual Prayer. He faid , God 
 
 may 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 125 
 
 may juflly condemn me for the left 
 Duty I ever did : and all my hopes 
 are from the free Mercy of God in 
 Chrift, which he often prayed for. 
 
 After a (lumber he wak'd and 
 faid, / (hall reft from my Labour : 
 a Minifter then prefent laid, And 
 your Works follow you : to whom 
 he reply ed, No Works, I will leave 
 out Works , if God will grant me the 
 ether. When a Friend was comfort- 
 ing him with the remembrance of 
 the good many had received by his 
 preaching and Writings, he faid, 
 / was but a Pen in Gods hand, and 
 what praije is due to a Pen. 
 
 His refign'd Submiffion to the 
 Will of God in his fharp Sicknefs, 
 was eminent. When extremity of 
 pain conftrainci him earneftly to 
 pray to God for his releafe by 
 Death, he would check himfelf; 
 It is not fit for me to prefcribe , 
 and faid, when thou wilt, what thoa . 
 wilt, how thou wilt. 
 
 Be- 
 
1 2 6 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 Being in great Anguifh, he faid, 
 how unfearckahle are his ways and 
 his paths pafi finding out ! the rea- 
 ches of his Providence we cannot fa- 
 thom : and to his Friends, Do not 
 think the worfe of Religion for what 
 you fee me fuffer. 
 
 Being oftea ask'd by his Friends, 
 how it was with his inward Man, 
 he replied, / blefs God I have a 
 well-grounded Affurance of my Eter- 
 nal Happinefs, and great Peace and 
 Comfort within ; but it was his trou- 
 \ lie he could not triumphantly ex- 
 prefs it, by reafon of his extreme 
 pains. He faid, Flejh mufl peri[h y 
 and we mufl feel theperifhing of it: 
 and that though his Judgment fub- 
 mitted, yet jenje would fi ill make 
 him groan. 
 
 Being asked by a Perfon of Qua- 
 Jity, whether he had not great 
 Joy from his believing Apprehen- 
 sions of the invifible State , he re- 
 plied : What elfe think you Chri- 
 
 flianity 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 27 
 
 flianity ferves for ? He faid, The 
 Confederation of the Deity in his 
 Glory and Greatnefi was too high 
 for our Thoughts ; hut the Conjide- 
 ration of the Son of God in our Na- 
 ture, and of the Saints in Heaven, 
 whom he knew and loved, did much 
 fweeten and familiarize Heaven to 
 him. The defcription of Heaven 
 in the 12. to iheHeb. and the 22. 
 was mod comfortable to him.: 
 That he was going to the innumera- 
 ble company of Angels, and to the 
 general Affembly and Church of the 
 firfl-born, whofe Names are written 
 in Heaven ; and to God the Judge 
 of a!l y and to the fpirits ofjujft men 
 made perfect ; And to Jefus the 
 Mediator of the new Covenant, and 
 to the' blood of fpr inkling that 
 J "peaks better things than the blood 
 of Abel. That Scripture, he 
 faid, deferved a thoufand thoufand 
 thoughts: He faid, how comfor- 
 table is that promife, Eye has not 
 
 feen 7 
 
128 A Funeral Sermon on 
 
 feen, nor Ear heard , neither hath 
 it entred into the heart oj Man to 
 conceive the things God hath laid 
 up for thofe tvhu love him. 
 
 At another time he faid, That he 
 found great comfort and ' fweetnefi in 
 repeating the words of the Lord's 
 Prayer, and was forry that fome 
 good people were prejudiced againjt 
 the ufe of it ; for there were all ne- 
 cefjary Petitions for Soul and Body 
 contain d in it. 
 
 At other times he gave excel- 
 lent Counfel to young Minifters 
 that vifited him, and earnejlly 
 prayed to God to blefi their labour s 3 
 and make them very fuccefsfu// in 
 Converting many Souls to Chrijl i 
 And exprefs'd great joy in the 
 hopes that God would do a great 
 deal of good by them ; and that 
 they were of moderate jeacefuli 
 Spirits. 
 
 He 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. i if 
 
 He did often pray that God 
 would he mercifull to this mif era- 
 lie <lift ratted World: and that he 
 would preferve his Church and In- 
 tereft in it. 
 
 He advis'd his Friends to he- 
 ware of felf-conceitednefs, as a Sin 
 that was likely to ruine this Na- 
 tion : and faid, / have written a 
 Book .againft it, which I am afraid 
 has done little good. 
 
 Being askd whether he had 
 alter'dj his mind in Controverfial 
 Points, he faid, fhofe that pleafe 
 may know my mind in my Writings : 
 and what he had done was not for 
 his own Reputation, hut the Glory 
 of God. 
 
 I went to him with a very wor- 
 thy Friend, Mr. Mather of New- 
 England, the day before he died, 
 and fpeaking iome comforting 
 Words to him, he replyed, I have 
 pain, there is no arguing againft 
 fenfe, hut I have peace, I have peace!. 
 K I 
 
130 A Funeral-Sermon on 
 
 I told him you are now approach- 
 ing to your long-defir'd home, he 
 anfwerd, / believe ', I believe. He 
 faid to Mr. Mather, I blefs God 
 that you have accomplifht your buji- 
 nefs, the Lord prolong your Life. 
 
 He expreft a great willingnefs 
 to dye, and during his Sicknefs, 
 when the Queflion was ask'd, how 
 he did, his reply was, almofl well. 
 His joy was moil remarkable, 
 when in his own apprehenfions^ 
 Death was neareft : and his Spiri- 
 tual Joy at length was consum- 
 mate in Eternal Joy. 
 
 Thus lived and dyed that blef- 
 fed Saint. I have without any ar- 
 tificial Fiction of words, given a 
 fincere Ihort Account of him. All 
 our Tears are below the juft grief 
 for fuch an un valuable Lofs. It is 
 the Comfort of his Friends, that 
 he enjoys a blefled Reward in Hea- 
 ven, and has left a precious Re- 
 membrance on the Earth. 
 
 Now 
 
Mr. Richard Baxter. 1 3 1 
 
 Now blefled be the gracious 
 God, that he was pleafed to pro- 
 long the Life of his Servant, fo 
 ufetul and beneficial to the World 
 to a full Age : that he has brought 
 him (lowly and fafely to Heaven. 
 I ihall conclude this Account with 
 mv own deliberate Wifh : May 
 I live the fhort remainder of my 
 Life, as entirely to the Glory of 
 God, as he lived; and when I ihall 
 come to the Period of my Life, 
 may I dye in the fame blefled Peace 
 wherein he died; may I be with 
 him in the Kingdom of Light and 
 Love for ever. 
 
 „ POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 1 Shall annex two Paflages decla- 
 ratory, the one of his Humility, 
 the other of his Excellent Abilities. 
 He had fuch an Abhorrence of him- 
 felf for his Sins, that he faid to a Mi- 
 ni fter, i* can more eafily believe, that 
 
 God 
 
132 A Funeral-Sermon^ &c. 
 
 God will forgive me, than 1 can for- 
 give my J elf. The other was, being 
 in the Pulpit to preach, he found that 
 he had forgot to put his Notes into 
 his Bible : he pray'd to God for his 
 Affiftance, and took the firft Text 
 that occurr'd to his View in opening 
 the Bible : and preach'd an Excellent 
 Sermon for the Matter and Order of 
 it upon the Priefthood of Chrift. Af- 
 ter he was come down, he enquired 
 of a Minifter prefent, whether he had 
 not tir'd him, who replyed, No ; but 
 with feveral others declar'd they were 
 exceedingly fatisfied with hisDifcourfe : 
 he (aid, It was neceJJ'ary to have a 
 Body of Divinity in ones Head. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
BOOKS writ by William 
 Bates, D. D. and fold by 
 B. Aylmer. 
 
 THE Harmony of the Divine 
 Attributes, in the Contri- 
 vance and Accomplijhment of Mans 
 Redemption by the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift : Or Difcourfes, wherein is 
 /hewed, how the Wifdom Mercy^ 
 Jujlice, Holinefs, Popjer, and Truth 
 of God are glorified in J hat great 
 and blejfed Work, In Odtavo. 
 
 Confederations of the Ex if e net 
 of God, and of the Immortality of 
 the Soul, with the Recommence of 
 the Future State. To which is 
 added the Divinity af the Chri- 
 fiian Religion, proved by the Evi- 
 dence of Rea/on, and Divine Reve- 
 lation, for the Cure of Infidelity^ 
 the Hetlick Evil of the Times. 
 In O&avo, 
 
 The 
 
The Soveraign and Final Hap- 
 pinefs of Man, with the effectual 
 Means to obtain it. In O&avo. 
 
 The Four Lafl Things, Death and 
 judgment, Heaven and Hell, pra- 
 ctically confidered and applied, in 
 feveral Difcourfes. In Od:avo, and 
 Duodecimo. 
 
 The Danger of Prof per ity difco- 
 vered, in feveral Sermons, upon 
 Prov. i. 17. /tfO&avo. 
 
 The great Duty of Refjgnation in 
 Times of Affliction, &c. In Oc- 
 tavo. 
 
 A Funeral Sermon preached up- 
 m the Death of the Reverend and 
 Excellent Divine , Dr. Thomas 
 Manton, who deceafed Oftober 18, 
 1677. To which is added, the lafl 
 ptihlkk Sermon Z>. Manton p reach- 
 ed. In Octavo, 
 
 The 
 
The Sure Trial of 7/prightnefs, 
 opened in fever al Sermons \npon Piai. 
 1 8. v. 23. /« O&avo. 
 
 A Defcription of the Bleffed 
 Place and State of the Saints a- 
 love y in a Difcourfe on John 14. 2. 
 Preached at the Funeral of Mn 
 
 Clarkfon. 
 
 • 
 
 The Way to the highefl Honour, 
 on John 12 z6. Preached at the 
 Funeral of Dr. Jacomb. 
 
 The Speedy Coming of Chrijl te 
 Judgment \ on Rev.22. 12, Preach- 
 ed at the Funeral of Mr. Benj. 
 Afliurft. 
 
 A Funeral Sermon for the Re- 
 verend, Holy and Excellent Di- 
 vine, Mr. Richard Baxter, who 
 Deceafed December the %tb. 1691c 
 With an Account of his Life. 
 
 AD- 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 NEwly printed, The Holy Bible, 
 containing the Old Teftament 
 and the New : With Annotations and 
 Parallel Scriptures. To which is an- 
 nex'd, The Harmony of the Gofpels : 
 As alio, the Reduction of the Jewifh 
 Weighrs, Coins and Meafures, to our 
 Englifh Standards. And a Table of 
 the Promifes in Scripture. By Samuel 
 Clarh Minifrqr of the Gofpel. Printed 
 in Folio of a very fair Letter ^ the like 
 never before in one Volume. Printed 
 for Br a ^ a ^ Qn Ay lwer in Cornhill. 
 
V 
 
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 fMMimii 
 
 TO* 
 
 jgrnQk! 
 
 W* 
 
 •*?8Ki 
 
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