Christian Commemoration, Part 3
Let not worthy Mr. HURST, or any other Servant of Jeſus Chriſt, be without a Religious Monument in your Hearts. Former Ages have exceeded bounds in commemoration of deceaſed Friends. Papiſts abide ſtill in their Exceſſes. But, abhorring them, run you not into a contrary peccant Extream! Idolize your Friends in glory, you may not; honourably and affectionately remember them, you muſt.
Your duty is, to follow their Faith, not their Fancies. And their holy Walks; not their wry Steps. They were but Men; our fellow-ſervants, and not our Maſters. Nor are they to be followed by us, farther than they followed their and our one Maſter. It ſhall be Praiſe now, and Glory in the day of your accounts, if you conſider their Chief End, and aim at the ſame. The God, the Mediator, and the Comforter that they choſe; and do chuſe the ſame. The Goſpel-Covenant that they ſtudied, lived upon, and by; and do ſtudy, and live upon the Promiſes, and according to the Demands of the ſame. If you exerciſe daily the Faith you have ſeen in them, the Hope and the Love; the Repentance, the Diligence, and the Patience; the Humility, the Juſtice, and the Charity.
The holy things which ye have both Learned and Received, and heard and ſeen in them, do ye; and the God of Peace ſhall be with …ou. After ſevere ſtudy of the way … Heaven, they neither wilfully …andred out of it, nor ſlothfully …alked in it. Take you their Way, …nd their Pace; and hold both. …mitate you their Watchfulneſs over your Hearts and your Sen…es, and their Reſiſtance of both …ſſaulting Temptations, and conſpi…ing Corruptions. They did, as the Army of Iſrael, which, paſſing thorough a Wood abounding with Honey, would not taſte it, becauſe …he King had forbad them. The people feared the King's Oath, 1 Sam. 14.26. They choſe rather Afflictions, than ſinful Pleaſures; and Re…roaches for Chriſt, rather than the Treaſures of Aegypt. Love you the World, and the things of it, as little is they loved them. They underſtood the diſproportion between a ſpiritual Nature, and carnal Senſualities: and looked not on Temporal things, as the goods of immortal Souls. Pray, as hard … they prayed for the Peace of Jeruſalem! Loving the Church; as knowing they were to be judged by their Affections unto the ſuffering Churches. Not confining God's Church unto their own Party; nor making their unneceſſary Opinions Articles of Faith, and their unneceſſary Modes of Worſhip Terms of Communion. Let it not be ſaid, that Joſhua's Reſolution, was theirs, more than yours. As they, ſo do you reſolve, to ſerve God with your Houſholds commanded ſo to do. Educating your Children piouſly and prudently. Loving your Servants Souls, with care to ſave them; and uſing them in all references, as you would be uſed your ſelves, if you were in their conditions.
Contemplate ſeriouſly and frequently, (as before directed,) the bleſſed ſtate of which they are now poſſeſſed. Spend not all the thoughts …ou have to ſpare, upon their Life. Of the two, beſtow them moſt li…erally upon the Eſtate they entred …nto at their Death. And do not …ndure your Living Friends, to take from you the time in which you …hould remember your Dead ones. Take it for no leſs a duty to Commemorate the Dead, than to viſit the Living. To Commemorate the Place where they be, the Company wherewith they dwell, the work wherein they are employed. And ſtay ye ſometimes in theſe thoughts, when you form them; as you uſe to ſtay in viſits of your Neighbours, when you make them. Start not out of theſe uſeful thoughts, aſſoon as you are got into them. As tho' you dreamed, that little benefit and comfort could be expected from them. Reſt not till you have overcome the firſt ſhyneſs of your minds. Their ſtrangeneſs unto theſe thoughts. Yea, till ſenſible benefit hath made them impatient, of keeping long from them, A little ſerious exerciſe will make them ſo.
For, to ſay the truth, which ſome tell me they feel; and which I have felt as my great motive, both to Preach and Publiſh this haſty diſcourſe. Theſe thoughts are moſt exceeding helps, to facilitate and to ſweeten our thoughts of God, with whom is dazling and overwhelming Majeſty. Mr. Baxter calls them our ſtepping-ſtones; and ſtairs of aſcent to look at God. And a greater than he, doth (methinks) direct us to eye the glorified Saints, as a ſweet mean to promote looking unto Jeſus Chriſt, Heb. 12.1, 2. Unto Jeſus Chriſt, who is our only and perfectly ſufficient Mediator. His glory, dare you not for your lives to give unto his moſt glorified Members. But, neither dare you to neglect ſuch remembrance of thoſe his Members, as ſo makes for the honour of Him the Head. As is both an Evidence of your Principle of Holineſs toward Him; and a Means of its Practice and Progreſs.
The promotion of which Principle, Practice, and Progreſs, is the dutiful Deſign of every Sermon. And may it be the plentiful Bleſſing of this Occaſional one unto you! Amen and Amen!