Christian Commemoration, Part 1
Heb. 13.7.
foreign.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have ſpoken unto you the Word of God: whoſe faith follow, conſidering the end of their converſation: Or rather thus,
Remember your Guides who have ſpoken unto you the Word of God whoſe Faith follow, conſidering the End (Eſcape, or Iſſue) of their Converſation.
I am of his mind, who hath ſaid; This Epiſtle to the Hebrews is as ſerviceable to the Church as the Sun is unto the World. But I wil… confine my preſent diſcourſe to this ſtricture of it, which is my Text▪ The ſacred Writer is here preſſing unto Perſeverance in the Faith, Worſhip, and Obedience of the Goſpel. For promoting the ſame, he preſcribes a duty, of which our Pulpits have been too ſilent, and your Pews too ignorant, if I rightly judge. The duty of recalling to mind Departed Miniſters; adding ſpiritual, mental Converſe with Dead ones, unto At…endance upon Living ones. Making uſe of Comprehenſors, as well as of …iators; of Teachers glorified, as well …s of Teachers but imperfectly ſan…tified.
And of theſe, four things are re…uired,
1. Remembrance of their Perſons.
2. Imitation of their Faith.
3. Conſideration of their Conver…ation.
4. Conſideration of the End and …ictorious Iſſue of that their Conver…ation.
Theſe are required, for the ex…ellent and important End aforeſaid. …f theſe, the Connexion is too plain … be inſiſted on. For, the Imitation of the Faith of any, doth evidently enough require the honourable Memory of their Perſons. We have no Power to follow forgotten ſteps. Nor Will, to tread in any, but thoſe of reverenced Feet. And this latter, as evidently requires the former. For Reaſon admits us not to Honour, or give our ſelves trouble to Remember ſuch, after whom we think not fit to walk. That were to be abſurdly prodigal of our Mind… and Memories. Nor needs it be ſaid, either how neceſſary it is that we conſider firſt what mens Converſation is, before we conſider what it… bleſſed End is. Or how requiſite i… is unto our Imitation of the Faith o… Believers, that we have the motiv… conſiderations, of the gracious Converſation in which it did begin, an… of the glorious Victory, in which i… did end. For how uſeleſs to you… ſelf were your moſt perfect Knowledge of Heaven's Glory, if you coul… have it without a competent unde… ſtanding of the Work, whoſe Reward …t is? And, who would take care to …ook much upon the Penny, before …e had took good cogniſance of the …abour in the Vineyard, whereof it is …he wages? We muſt know the Race, before we can or ſhall liſt much to heed the Garland. And …ruly, till we ſee the difficulties of …he Race, to be run thorough by …others; and the glories of the Gar…and put upon their heads; we have …ut little heart to Engage in the …ne, or Expect the other for our ſelves. Well it were, if by ſight of …oth we were duly animated.
The ſubſtance of the Text I ſhall …abour to preſent in three orderly Poſitions; ſcil.
P. 1. Godly Miniſters, when Dead, …ught not to be Buried in Oblivion.
P. 2. Their holy Faith and Converſation, ought to be conſidered and fol…owed.
P. 3. Conſideration of their Conqueſt and Eſcape out of all their Difficulties here below, is a very neceſſary motive to our imitation of their holy Faith and Life.
I begin with the firſt.