things to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father to those that ask him The Inference is strong not only from the Divine Authority of the Speaker but from the native Perspicuity of the Things for the Love of an earthly Father is but an Infusion into his Breast from the heavenly Father and but a faint resemblance of his Love The Love of a Mother is more tender and endearing than of a Father Even a fearful Hen will fly upon Death to preserve its tender Brood from the Devourer Yet the Love of God to his Children far excels it Can a Woman forget her sucking Child What Heart what Marble is in her Breast so incompassionate and unrelenting as to neglect her helpless Infant She may but saith God I will never forget thee The Seraphims those bright and unperishing Flames are but faint and cold in comparison of God's Love to his Children 'T is observable how the Love of God to them expresses it self in all the Notions of Propriety and Preciousness to make it more sensible to us They are stiled his Treasure his Jewels the most precious part of his Treasure the Jewels of his Crown that are the richest Jewels Now will he throw away his Treasure or suffer the cruel Enemy to rob him of his Jewels Will he not take them into his safe Custody 'T is to be observed that the Esteem and Affection of God principally respects the Souls of his Children Their Souls have an original Affinity with him in their Substance as Spirits and being born again of the Spirit they are Spirit in their Divine Qualities Endowments and more endear'd to him than by their first Alliance His tender Care to preserve them will be correspondent to his Valuation and Love Moreover the Condition of departing Souls affords another Argument of reliance upon his Love for they leave this visible World with all their Supports and Comforts they are stripp'd of all sensible Securities And will he leave them fatherless in such a forlorn and desolate State His Love is express'd by Mercy Compassion Pity melting Affections that are most tenderly moved when the beloved Object is in Distress Our Saviour propounds an Argument for dependance upon the delivering Love of God from the Exigence of his People Shall not God deliver his own Elect the Designation of Love who cry day and night to him He will do it speedily Love is never more ardent and active than in times of Distress Therefore when his dying Children are deprived of all their Hopes and dependance upon Creatures and fly to him for Protection and Relief will he not hear their mournful Requests and grant their fainting Desires When their earthly Tabernacles are so ruinous that they are forc'd to dislodg will the Love of a Heavenly Father suffer their naked Souls to wander in the vast Regions of the other World seeking Rest and finding none Certainly he will bring them into his reviving Presence If Divine Love be so condescending that the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity dwells with the humble and contrite Spirit to revive the Spirit of the Humble when they are confin'd to our lowly Earth we may be assur'd when that Spirit shall be devested of Flesh he will bring it to Heaven the Temple of his Glory to be with him for ever 'T is greater Love for a King to lay aside his State and dwell in a mean Cottage with his Favourite than to receive him into his Palace and communicate to him of his rich Abundance 'T is another most comfortable Consideration that the Love of God is unvariable towards his Children His Love is the sole moving Cause of our filial Relation to him Of his own Will he begat us by the Word of Truth His Soveraign free Love was the Principle of his electing any to the Dignity of being his Children This Love is as unchangeable as free and Election that proceeds from it is as unchangeable as his Love What can induce him to alter his Affection towards them For such is the perfection of his Knowledg that he can never be surprized by a sudden new Event that may cause a change in his Mind and Will He foresaw all the Sins of his People with their provoking Aggravations Now if the foresight of them did not hinder his electing Love in its rise can they frustrate its end the bringing of them to Glory Besides 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 surest Signs of his Love if we consider the unvaluable Excellence of the Gifts and the Design of the Giver The Son of God is the most excellent Gift of his Love as undeserved as he was undesired And from hence the Apostle argues He that gave his Son for us all how much more will he with him give us all things Blessed God! What richer Evidence and more convincing Demonstration can there be of thy Love Will he not with him give us all things The Inference is direct and conclusive with respect to temporal and eternal Things He will give to his Children in the present World whatever his Wisdom in conjunction with his Love sees good for them To illustrate this by a low and familiar Instance If a Mother bestows upon her Daughter rich Jewels for her Marriage-Ornaments will she deny her Pins to dress her And we may as strongly argue that with his Son he will give us eternal Blessings Will he give us the Tree of Life and not permit us to eat of the Fruit of it What was the design of his Counsel and Compassion in giving his Son to be a Sacrifice for us but to restore us to his Favour The Apostle reasons strongly If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life He has paid our Ransom and revers'd the Sentence of Condemnation against us and it invincibly follows he can more easily accomplish our Happiness in Heaven If Love justify a Sinner it will glorify a Saint And as the Gift of the Son so the most precious Gift of the Spirit to God's Children to make them holy and heavenly is the most certain sign of his Love to them The Apostle in the fullest expression speaks of it God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he has loved us even when we were dead in Sins quickned us together with Christ By Grace ye are saved Sanctification is the effect of rich Mercy great Love and saving Grace The Children of God are seal'd by the Holy Spirit to the Day of Redemption that Seal distinguishes them from the obstinate and polluted World and ratifies the conveyance of eternal Life to them The Spirit is stiled the Earnest of the Inheritance His dwelling in the Saints by his sanctifying and comforting Operations is an Earnest of their dwelling with
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 strives with none they are without the Reserves of Mercy The Guilt of Sin remains in its full Obligation the Pollution of Sin in its deepest Die and the Punishment of Sin in its Extremity for ever O what Folly is it or rather Frenzy not to provide for our Souls in their greatest Exigence Common Reason instructs us knowing our own Weakness to commit our Treasure to the custody of our Friends which we cannot otherwise keep from our Enemies especially to such a Friend as can and will preserve it for our Use and Advantage The Soul is our Jewel above all Price 't is our Wisdom to secure it out of all danger Let us therefore commit it to the safe and sure Hands of our Heavenly Father otherwise we cannot preserve it from the infernal Spirits the Robbers and Murderers of Souls The wise Preacher denounces a fearful Evil Wo be to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up In all the Senses of falling Death is the greatest Fall the High the Honourable the Rich fall from all their State and Men of all Degrees are forsaken of all their carnal Comforts and Supports If then the solitary Soul has not a God to receive support and comfort it how woful is its Condition Methinks the apprehension of this should strike a Terror so deep into the Hearts of Men that they should be restless till they have secur'd a Retreat for their departing Souls For this end let us according to the earnest Advice of St. Peter be diligent that we may be found of him in Peace without spot and blameless The Lord Jesus is the only Peace-maker of the righteous and holy God to Sinners The Judg of this World is flaming with Wrath and terrible in Vengeance to Sinners that appear before his Tribunal out of Christ. We shall for ever be excluded from his blessed Communion without the Mediator restore us to his Favour Our Reconciliation only is by Redemption in his Blood The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him He is the Lord our Righteousness by whom alone we can stand in Judgment God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself There is now an Act of Oblivion offer'd in the Gospel to all that come to God by him We have sure Salvation in his Name But we must with consenting Wills close with him as our Lord and Life The first Gospel preach'd by the Angel after his coming into the World declares There was born in the City of David a Saviour Christ the Lord. We must not separate between Christ the Saviour and Christ the Lord between his Salvation and his Dominion God indispensably requires we should resign our selves to his Son as our King and rely upon him as our Priest to atone his Displeasure If we thus receive him he will restore us to the Favour and Peace of God establisht in an everlasting Covenant How tenderly and compassionately does the great God invite Sinners to re-enter into his Favour to acquaint our selves with him and to be at peace His Embassadours in his Name and in Christ's stead beseech them to be reconciled to God But their perverse Spirits would have God reconciled to them that they might be exempt from Punishment but are unwilling to be reconciled to him to part with their Lusts. In short reconciliation with God necessarily infers defiance with Sin Ye that love the Lord hate Evil. If Men do not cease their Rebellion there is no shadow of hope to obtain the Divine Favour Do ye provoke the Lord to Jealousie are you stronger than he Jealousie is the most sensible and severe Affection As 't is with a Town taken by storm all that are found in Arms are without Mercy cut off so all that at Death are found with the weapons of unrighteousness their unrepented unforsaken Sins about them must expect Judgment without Mercy Lastly 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 Men possess their Treasure with Joy and Jealousie and guard it with vigilant Care will not God preserve his dearest Treasure the Souls of his Children committed to his Trust Can Love forsake can Truth deceive can Almighty Power fail Will a Father a heavenly Father be without Bowels to his own Off-spring No he cannot deny himself he is readiest to relieve when they are in distress Old Simeon is a leading Example to Believers after he had embraced Christ in his Armes how earnestly did he desire his Dissolution Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation St. Stephen in the midst of a showr of Stones with a blessed Tranquillity makes his dying Prayer Lord Jesus receive my Spirit If the Fears of humble Souls arise in that hour because they have not the Conspicuous marks of God's Children the Graces of the Spirit in that degree of Eminency as some Saints have had Let them consider there are different Ages among the Children of God some are in a state of Infancy and Infirmity others are more Confirm'd but the relation is the same in all and gives an interest in his promised Mercy The weakness of their Faith cannot frustrate God's faithfulness 'T is the Sincerity not the Strength of Grace that is requisite to Salvation If Faith be shaking as a bruised reed and but kindling as the smoaking flax it shall be victorious O that these powerfull Comforts may encourage dying Christians to commend their Souls with Ardency and Assurance to God their Father and Felicity I have now finisht my Discourse upon the Text and shall apply my self to speak of the other Subject the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter that Excellent Instrument of Divine Grace to recover and restore so many revolted Souls to God out of the Empire of his Enemy or in the Apostles Language to translate them from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son I am sensible that in speaking of him I shall be under a double Disadvantage For those who perfectly knew him will be apt to think my Account of him to be short and defective an imperfect Shadow of his resplendent Vertues others who were unacquainted with his extraordinary Worth will from Ignorance or Envy be inclin'd to think his just Praises to be undue and excessive Indeed if Love could make me eloquent I should use all the most lively and graceful Colours of Language to â—dorn his Memory but this Consideration relieves me in the Consciousness of my Disability that a plain Narrative of what Mr. Baxter was and did will bee a most noble Eulogy and that his substantial Piety no more needs artificial Oratory
his hand upon his heart and find he has a Soul and a Conscience though he lived before as if he had none He told some friends that six Brothers were Converted by reading that Call and that every Week he received Letters of some Converted by his Books This he spake with most humble thankfulness that God was pleased to use him as an instrument for the Salvation of Souls He that was so solicitous for the Salvation of others was not negligent of his own but as regular Love requires his first Care was to prepare himself for Heaven In him the Vertues of the Contemplative and Active Life were eminently united His time was spent in Communion with God and in Charity to Men. He lived above the sensible World and in solitude and silence convers'd with God The frequent and serious Meditation of Eternal things was the powerfull means to make his Heart holy and heavenly and from thence his Conversation His Life was a practical Sermon a drawing Example There was an Air of Humility and Sanctity in his mortified Countenance and his Deportment was becoming a Stranger upon Earth and a Citizen of Heaven Though all Divine Graces the fruit of the Spirit were visible in his Conversation yet some were more eminent Humility is to other Graces as the Morning-Star is to the Sun that goes before it and follows it in the Evening Humility prepares us for the receiving of Grace God gives Grace to the humble and it follows the Exercise of Grace Not I says the Apostle but the Grace of God in me In Mr. Baxter there was a rare Union of sublime Knowledge and other spiritual Excellencies with the lowest opinion of himself He wrote to one that sent a Letter to him full of Expressions of Honour and Esteem You do admire one you do not know Knowledge will cure your Error The more we know God the more reason we see to admire him but our knowledge of the Creature discovers its imperfections and lessens our esteem To the same person expressing his Veneration of him for his excellent Gifts and Graces he replied with heat I have the remainders of pride in me how dare you blow up the sparks of it He desir'd some Ministers his chosen friends to meet at his House and spend a day in Prayer for his direction in a matter of moment before the Duty was begun he said I have desir'd your assistance at this time because I believe God will sooner hear your Prayers than mine He imitated St. Austin both in his Penitential Confessions and Retractations In conjunction with Humility he had great Candor for others He could willingly bear with persons of differing Sentiments he would not prostitute his own judgment nor ravish anothers He did not over-esteem himself nor under-value others He would give liberal Encomiums of many Conforming Divines He was severe to himself but candid in excusing the faults of others Whereas the busie Inquirer and Censurer of the faults of others is usually the easie Neglecter of his own Self-denial and Contempt of the World were shining Graces in him I never knew any person less indulgent to himself and more indifferent to his Temporal interest The offer of a Bishoprick was no temptation to him for his exalted Soul despised the Pleasures and Profits which others so earnestly desire he valued not an empty Title upon his Tomb. His Patience was truly Christian God does often try his Children by Afflictions to exercise their Graces to occasion 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 obscur'd under a Cloud of detraction Many slanderous Darts were thrown at him He was charg'd with Schism and Sedition He was accus'd for his Paraphrase upon the New Testament as guilty of disloyal Aspersions upon the Government and Condemn'd unheard to a Prison where he remainâ—d for some years But he was so far from being moved at the unrighteous prosecution that he joyfully said to a constant friend What could I desire more of God than after having serv'd him to my power I should now be called to suffer for him One who had been a fierce Dissenter was afterward rankled with an opposite heat and very contumeliously in his Writings reflected upon Mr. Baxter who calmly endur'd his Contempt and when the same person publisht a learned Discourse in Defence of Christianity Mr. Baxter said I forgive him all for his Writing that Book Indeed he was so much the more truly honourable as he was thought worthy of the hatred of those persons 'T is true the Censures and Reproaches of others whom he esteemed and loved toucht him in the tender part But he with the great Apostle counted it a small thing to be judg'd by Mens day He was entire to his Conscience and independent upon the opinion of others But his Patience was more eminently tried by his continual pains and languishing Martyrdom is a more easie way of dying when the Combat and the Victory are finisht at once than to dye by degrees every day His Complaints were frequent but who ever heard an unsubmissive word drop from his lips He was not put out of his Patience nor out of the possession of himself In his sharp Pains he said I have a rational Patience and a believing Patience though sense would recoil His pacifick Spirit was a clear Character 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 publickly known He said to a friend I can as willingly be a Martyr for Love as for any Article of the Creed 'T is strange to astonishment that those who agree in the substantial and great Points of the Reformed Religion and are of differing Sentiments onely in things not so clear nor of that moment as those wherein they consent should still be opposite Parties Methinks the remembrance how our Divisions lately expos'd us to our watchfull Adversary and were almost fatal to the interest of Religion should conciliate our Affections Our common danger and common deliverance should prepare our Spirits for a sincere and firm Union When our Sky was so 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 establishing our Religion at home and gives us hopes of restoring it abroad in places from whence it has been so unrighteously and cruelly expell'd May the Union of his Protestant Subjects in religious things so desir'd by wise and good Men be accomplisht by his princely Counsel and Authority Integrity with Charity would remove those things that have so long disunited us I return from this Digression Love to the Souls of Men was the peculiar Character of Mr. Baxter's Spirit In this he imitated and honoured our Saviour who prayed dyed and lives for the Salvation of Souls All his natural and supernatural Endowments