A funeral-sermon for the Reverend, holy and excellent divine, Mr. Richard Baxter, who deceased Decemb. 8, 1691 : with an account of his life

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■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,

Sr 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: 0 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 youy
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 wy 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 Joht '• 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 ; Goy tell]^^l1
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. Jeive/Sj the moft precious part
Zech.p. i50f his 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 rwaded, 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;
Gody 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. abJe 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, 0 Lord, I have waited for
thy Salvation. Job fays, Tho he
kill me7 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>
0 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 fayy 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 themy
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 7tis 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 whoMac-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 incomprehenfible
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
andTempefts5difchargesThun*
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 Liony 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 ayie t0 yluc]z tbem 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 defire0
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
youy 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 Gody 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. in the 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> Httle 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 John 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. prefs'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} Savioury 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 John *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, 0 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, 0 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. fer<i be 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-
loufiey 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. 0 won-
der full ft up id it y of an unrenewed
Soul ! 0 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 joyy
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 Chrijliansy
leaft. of all Church-men, Befidesy
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 wTas 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
0tth\^% 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 wranc 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. 7Tis 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 wTas 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 youy 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 Worldy 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,
0 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[hy
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!ly 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, 0 how comfor-
table is that promife, Eye has not

feen7

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 s3
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-
lovey 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 Bra^a^Qn Ay lwer in Cornhill.

V

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